The English Premier League is the latest to break cover and return to action with a packed schedule of matches in prospect. The highlight of the first round of the restart takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Manchester United are the visitors (3.15pm ET Friday). Both sides aim to advance their top four EPL challenge.
United were in the ascendancy before the break while Spurs were on a poor run of form but the home side will welcome back some key players after injury. It could be a tight 90 minutes so where are the value picks?
THFC vs MUFC Moneyline Betting Odds
All three possible options in the moneyline market are odds-against (ie: + odds), so we will get a decent return provided we pick the winner. It is tight with Manchester United as +140 narrow favorites, followed by a +200 win for Spurs while the draw is the outsider at around +240.
If we can rely on the form book as a guide, it all points to the away win with Man Utd winning four and drawing one of their last five games. Tottenham haven’t won in the same period but there has been that three-month hiatus which has allowed crucial players to return. Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min were due to sit out the remainder of the season but with both men fit and returned to the squad, Tottenham carry more potency.
Spurs vs Man Utd Prop Bets
We are still edging towards the away win but before we commit, let’s look at the men who can make a difference on Friday evening. Spurs welcome back Kane but United have Marcus Rashford back in contention following his own injury concerns. Both Kane and Rashford are locked as +400 (4/1) joint favorites with some of the leading USA sports betting sites in the first goal scorer betting.
Behind the top two, other value picks could include Anthony Martial and Odion Ighalo of Manchester United while Tottenham will be looking to Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura to back up the main striker.
Both Teams to Score may be a likely option this week: Even when Spurs were on a poor run, they were finding the net with regularity and with Kane and Son back, they should strike at least once on Friday. At the same time, Tottenham’s defense let in 10 goals in those previous five games and that should leave Man Utd with plenty to exploit. BTTS is circa -155 but it looks to be one of the most plausible bets for this clash.
Having said that, we aren’t expecting too many goals over the 90 minutes. With a strange atmosphere as the backdrop and two, high quality sides with much to play for, they may cancel each other out. A one goal winning margin may be enough to win it and, for that reason, a 2-1 win in favor of Manchester United (+800 generally) may be the most likely option in the Correct Score markets.
Our theory relating to a low scoring game will also have a bearing on your decision to enter the total goals markets. Betting Over the 2.5 line is usually considered a relatively strong option but it returns short odds of -125 and, in this game, we wouldn’t be looking to push above 3.5 (+220).
USAbetting decides on our own bets in the Tottenham vs Man Utd predictions below, but if you did want a little extra value, you may want to look for Manchester United to win by a one goal margin. Winning Margin markets will return at around +300 if this selection were to come in.
Our Preview’s Spurs vs Man Utd Predictions & Betting Picks Verdict
Following such a long and unscheduled break from action, it may be tricky to predict the outcome of any EPL soccer game this week. Form can arguably be disregarded while injury concerns have been cleared up and it feels like the start of a new season.
If we can take a parallel from other parts of the world, those sides who were in a good run of form have taken that momentum into the remainder of the campaign. Bayern Munich are an extreme example and, despite the extended break, the Bundesliga leaders came back to record a series of straight wins.
For that reason, we are going to side with Manchester United for this game. Spurs may be hosting but with matches being played behind closed doors, there will be little or no home advantage on the night. Tottenham do have those key players back from injury and that will, at the very least, make things tighter, but the issues in the Spurs defense have been there for most of the season.
The man who we think might take advantage is Manchester United’s Anthony Martial. He’s not the most prolific of strikers but the French international has a reasonable return of 16 goals this season and he has made a difference against Spurs in the past. We’re completing our picks with Both Teams to Score but it should be a tight and cagey game as the EPL makes a tentative return. These are our Tottenham vs Manchester United predictions for this preview:
- Manchester United to win @ +145 with 5Dimes.
- Both Teams to Score @ -154 with Intertops.
- Anthony Martial to score in 90 minutes (ie: to score anytime) @ +150 with Betonline.
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.