Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester United Pick to Win
Date:Sunday, December 11th, 2016
Where: English Premier League Old Trafford Manchester United
by Keith, Professional Soccer/Football Handicapper, Predictem
Match Odds: Tottenham 5/2, Manchester United 6/5, Draw 23/10
Moneyline:Tottenham +250, Manchester United +120, Draw +230
Over/Under Best Market: OVER 2.5 53/50 (+106)
This week, the English Premier League features yet another Tale of Two Cities that love to hate each otherManchester and London. Its Tottenham Hotspur against the Red Devils of Manchester United. The festivities are set to take place Sunday, December 11th at Old Trafford in Manchester, where the Red Devils will curate the hosting duties.
The Reds will play host to a Tottenham Hotspur team that loves to play the role of spoiler. The Spurs handed Manchester City their first defeat this season when they beat Manchester Uniteds cross-city rivals by a score of 2-0. Tottenham had lost two games in a row, falling to both Chelsea in English Premier League action and Monaco in Champions League play. However, the Spurs recovered nicely with a 5-0 win against Swansea and thus they can certainly bring it to Manchester United here with the momentum they have likely picked up. Tottenham Hotspur is a team that is no walk in the park by any means and they have helped revitalize North London soccer after the City of Manchester has reasserted themselves as the Football Capital of England. It is hard to lay Manchester United at home but it is not inconceivable for there to be a draw as the Spurs did just that against their arch rival Arsenal at the Emirates and furthermore Tottenham held a lead at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea before ultimately falling 2-1.
For Tottenham a draw would be a victory as it would keep them within seven points of table-topper Chelsea. However, Manchester United is 14 points away from the top-position and they are behind Tottenham on the table in sixth. At this point, Tottenham and Manchester United are vying for Europa and Champions League qualifications, so this game likely bares more significance for Manchester United as they likely need the full three points. Both Tottenham and Manchester United have the firepower to open this one up to a shootout. However, the advantages assuredly lay in Manchester United, the option that is currently being laid by much of the public. Nevertheless Manchester Uniteds home pitch is one of the toughest to play in the game. Old Trafford is known as The Theatre of Dreams and on this pitch, Manchester United has slayed many giants of the game.
Manchester United is looking to be the Manchester United all are accustomed to seeing. Yet the star-studded cast under the captainship of Jose Mourinho has outright floundered in many capacities so far. The Red Devils have made acquisitions and put together a world class starting eleven that has not lived up to the hype by any stretch. After blowing a chance to win against Arsenal outright, a victory against the Spurs would be an excellent resume point for Jose Mourinho. Manchester Uniteds biggest win so far under Mourinho came against Manchester City in national level competition that was not a league game. A win against Tottenham closes the gap between the two sides and catapults the Red Devils forward with much needed momentum.
With much of the public expressing a lack of faith in Manchester United on their own pitch, we are in prime position to the get Reds and Old Trafford at an exceptionally friendly price. It is often a rarity to get a good Manchester United team at home at above evens odds, so we will dive right in. In Over/Under markets we will go ahead and back the OVER 2.5 as three goals will not be a hard to number to hit with both these teams finding multiple ways to score in many of their previous outings. Ultimately here we stand to risk two units for the potential of tallying up 2.26 units if we are successful in both wagers.
Tottenham Hotspur Recent Form
W Swansea City 5-0
L Chelsea 1-2
L Monaco 1-2
W West Ham United 3-2
D Arsenal 1-1
Manchester United Recent Form
D Everton 1-1
W West Ham United 4-1
D West Ham United 1-1
W Feyenoord 4-0
D Arsenal 1-1
Keith’s Prediction for the Game: Manchester United 6/5 (+120) and OVER 2.5 53/50 (+106).