Tottenham vs. Manchester United odds, preview, and pick

Manchester United will look to get revenge on Tottenham when the Red Devils visit the Spurs on Sunday in our Premier League Match of the Week.

Manchester United is slightly favored on the road despite losing to Tottenham 6-1 in the reverse fixture last October.

Tottenham trying to right the ship

The story is always the same with Jose Mourinho, and Tottenham have now entered the chapter where fans are wondering what has happened to their team. Just a few weeks ago, things looked like they had turned around with a run of five straight wins that saw them outscore their opponents by a combined 15 goals to one.

Then came the North London Derby, a sobering 2-1 defeat to Arsenal that saw them finish with 10 men. They followed that up with a stunning collapse against Dinamo Zagreb, a 3-0 loss in extra time that saw them choke away a two-goal advantage after the first leg. They rebounded with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, before a 2-2 draw last weekend with lowly Newcastle yet again left fans searching for answers.

The Spurs now sit in sixth, two points behind Chelsea and three points behind West Ham for Europa League and Champions League qualification, respectively. A win against Manchester United would go a long way towards keeping them in the race, especially considering their remaining seven matches afterwards will mostly feature teams in the top half of the table.

The one benefit of elimination from Europa League is that the side has had a full week to rest up, especially players who were in international duty last week. Mourinho will likely opt for a strong defensive unit, and look for Lucas, Heung-Min Son, and Harry Kane to link up on the break.

Kane is a man in top form, leading the league in both goals and assists with 19 and 13, respectively. However, in 14 career matches against the Red Devils, he has just four goals and two assists. Son’s record is even worse, with just two goals and two assists in 12 career outings.

Manchester United limping towards the finish line

Injury issues are piling up for Manchester United, and as they continue to push forward in the Europa League, depth and rotation are becoming serious concerns. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is without defender Eric Bailly, who is currently quarantined in the Ivory Coast after contracting COVID-19 while on international duty. Anthony Martial is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, while Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw both played through pain in their win over Granada on Thursday.

Both players were subbed off in the match, with Rashford playing 65 minutes and scoring the winner, and Shaw coming off at halftime. If either are unavailable to start on Sunday, it could be problematic for the Red Devils. If both are unable to go, it would be difficult to see a path to victory. Shaw is in the best form of his career, and his interplay down the left with Rashford has been vital in much of United’s scoring chances over the past month. I believe both will start, but how long they play is up in the air.

Solskjaer finally got a win against the Big Six when United shocked Manchester City a month ago at the Etihad, a 2-0 win that saw United score against a top club for just the second time this year. They did so exploiting City on the counter, but Tottenham will look to play compact and do the same to United. With neither team being the best at breaking other teams down, this match could be end-to-end with counter attacks, or a boring midfield stalemate.

Trends and Free Bet

Manchester United have not been defeated in their last 22 away matches in the Premier League, the third-longest such run in league history. They have not lost in the league since January, a run of 10 straight. They have kept clean sheets in six of their last eight away from home.

Manchester United have scored just five goals over their last five matches in the league, and over their last five away from home, they have found the back of the net in just two of those.

Since Solskjaer took over at United in 2019, no team has done a league double over United; a win for the Spurs would make them the first club to do so.

There have been fewer than 2.5 goals in the last five away matches for Manchester United, while Tottenham have scored at least two goals in each of their last three at home, all victories for the Spurs.

Tottenham lead the Premier League with dropped points from halftime leads, as six times this season they have squandered the lead in the second half, each ending in a draw. 

Manchester United are simply a squad trying to survive the waves at the moment, the waves of both matches and injuries. They are playing bland football for the most part, relying on a few chances within the match to pip a goal. Meanwhile, Spurs are trying to find their identity, seemingly losing it every time it looks like they’ve figured things out.

I don’t expect much from this match, but I also don’t see either side being kept off the scoresheet. Despite his struggles against them in the past, Kane should be good for a goal, with it being canceled out by United, probably on a penalty.

A 1-1 draw seems fitting for a match that will likely leave Spurs fans wondering why they didn’t get a win.

Free Picks: Draw +240, Under 2.5 -120, Tie and both teams to score Yes +330