Chelsea vs. Manchester United and Pick to Win
Date: Sunday, February 25th, 2018
Where: English Premier League – Old Trafford Manchester, United Kingdom
by Keith, Professional Soccer/Football Handicapper, Predictem
Match Odds: Chelsea 14/5, Manchester United 1/1, Draw 23/10
Moneyline: Chelsea +280, Manchester United EVENS (+100), Draw +230
Over/Under: OVER 2.5 11/10 (+110)
London and Manchester have a fierce rivalry that extends beyond the football pitch. However, in this situation the two sides will do battle and settle the account in a pivotal English Premier League fixture pitting the Blues of Chelsea against the Red Devils of Manchester. The affair will take place on Sunday, February 25th, 2018 at Old Trafford in Manchester. The two teams have a documented and storied rivalry as these two powers have combined for some serious hardware when it concerns the English Premier League. In fact, the two sides have been the two franchises that have won more titles as of recent more than any other in the English Premier League.
The Red Devils come into this affair trailing Manchester City by 16 points in the second position of the League Table. Overall, Manchester Uniteds season has been classed as a disappointment given all the star power acquired to aid the franchise in getting back to the top of the mountain as the best team in the history of the game. Over the span of a season, Manchester City already acquired Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic to assist the frontal attack in proliferating scores. Not too long before that, Paul Pogba was added to the roster to bolster the proficiency of this unit. Despite digging in to their purses, Manchester United have achieved some lackluster results this season in their efforts. Needless to say, manager Jose Mourinho has not been happy up to this point and is looking for a signature win to catapult this team to a level where it can compete down the backstretch of the schedule.
For the defending English Premier League champions, the title defense has been quite a struggle. Presently, the Blues sit in fourth place with 53 points. This puts Chelsea 19 points behind table-topper Manchester City and a title retain virtually out of reach. However, Antonio Conte and company still have plenty to play for. If the Blues hold serve they can secure yet another Champions League qualification despite failing to repeat as champion of the English Premier League in the 2017/18 campaign. There is also an element of incentive for Chelsea to win given the riff that has developed between Conte and Mourinho. Moreover, Chelsea is the former team that Mourinho managed and you can be best assured that the Chelsea faithful are pulling for a win for bragging rights if at nothing else.
Very simply, Manchester United is desperate for a win at this point. The Red Devils find themselves needing to keep pace with cross-city rival Manchester City who hold a commanding lead over them at the present moment. With Derby Day nearing a loss here can put Manchester United out of the title hunt before they get a chance to salvage any shot when they travel to Etihad Stadium in April. Thus, by pure determination the Red Devils should be able to notch a win here and secure a much-needed three points. When the element of home pitch advantage is tossed into the mix, the Red Devils look like a prime choice here. When the asking price as it evens, it is virtually a must-play.
Offense will be paramount in this contest and thus the Over 2.5 offers tremendous value at a price of 11/10 or +110. The Red Devils will need their offensive talent to scorch the back of the net and given how Mourinho had a blue print to draw from dating back to last season, it is safe to presume that they can exceed this number here in this market with the addition of Alexis Sanchez. All in all we stand to risk two units to gain 2.1 if we are successful.
Chelsea Recent Form
W West Bromwich Albion 1-0
L Watford 1-4
L Bournemouth 0-3
W Brighton and Hove Albion 4-0
D Leicester City 0-0
Manchester United Recent Form
L Newcastle United 0-1
W Huddersfield Town 2-0
L Tottenham Hotspur 0-2
W Burnley 1-0
W Stoke City 3-0
Keith’s Prediction for the Game: MANCHESTER UNITED (+100) and OVER 2.5 11/10 (+110)
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