A busy midweek of Premier League action comes to a close on Thursday with Leicester vs. Manchester United. For Leicester City, it’s been an awful start to the season, sitting at the bottom of the Premier League with just one point, while Man United have endured a tricky start under new boss Erik ten Hag.
Can Brendan Rodgers' Leicester kick start their season or will Erik ten Hag’s revolution at Manchester United continue? There’s only one way to find out and that’s by reading our Leicester City vs. Manchester United tips and predictions.
Leicester City vs Manchester United match odds
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Leicester City vs Manchester United betting picks
Predictions made on 8/30/2022 at 5:15 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Leicester City vs Manchester United game info
• Location: King Power Stadium, Leicester, England
• Date: Thursday, September 1, 2022
• Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
• TV: fuboTV
Leicester City vs Manchester United betting preview
Weather
A warm day in Leicester will drop to temperatures in the mid-60s when this game kicks off at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Injuries
Leicester City: Ricardo Pereira RB (Out), Ryan Bertrand LB (Out), James Maddison AMC (Questionable).
Manchester United: Victor Lindelof CB (Out), Facundo Pellistri FWR (Out), Anthony Martial STR (Questionable).
Leicester City vs Manchester United predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Side analysis
Heading into this game week, the home team is stuck to the bottom of the Premier League table. In four games, Leicester City have drawn just once and lost the remaining three. That isn’t good enough for a team with players of this quality and Brendan Rodgers has come under pressure for his job. Rodgers has done a brilliant job since his arrival at King Power Stadium but even he admits the club is not “stable” and they’ve lost, or are in the process of losing, some of their better players.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have already had a wild season, and we’re only four games in. They started with two humbling defeats, including a demolition by Brentford. Then we saw a brilliant, gritty performance against old rivals Liverpool followed up by a business-like win over Southampton. I’m still not entirely sure what to make of this team. They need to give Ten Hag time and it’s clear that some of the principles he’s installing in the team are working. There are times when their passing has been intricate in a way that hasn’t been seen by the team in years.
It looks like Anthony Martial will miss the game. As will Antony, the new Brazilian signing from Ajax, who wasn’t registered in time to play. Young forward Anthony Elanga was poor against Southampton, meaning that with Arsenal on the horizon this weekend, we will probably see Cristiano Ronaldo recalled to the starting lineup with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho flanking him. That Arsenal game on Sunday means that we should see a lot of rotation in this game to keep Ten Hag’s team fresh. That will likely mean the first start for Casemiro and possibly a return to the starting 11 for Fred, Luke Shaw, and Harry Maguire.
Leicester will mirror United’s 4-3-3 with Harvey Barnes and Ayoze Perez either side of Jamie Vardy. The midfield trio of James Maddison, Wilfred Ndidi, and Youri Tielemans will be key to any hopes Leicester have of winning this game. Ndidi, in particular, needs to provide the engine and work rate that allows a talent like Maddison more creative freedom. When this trio works well, they’re a joy to watch, but they haven't been at their best recently.
If I were to lean towards a team winning this game I’d side with Man United but the +110 doesn’t quite feel worth the risk. Instead, I’d choose to back the game to be a draw at halftime. Leicester have been level at halftime in their past two games and it’s clear that Rodgers is focused on keeping his team tough to beat. United were level with Southampton at halftime in the last game and I see this match unfolding much like that one.
Prediction: Draw at Halftime (+130 to DraftKings)
Over/Under analysis
We’ve seen that there has been a deliberate attempt by Erik ten Hag to make sure United don’t leave such big holes in the two games since that humiliating Brentford loss. They look like they’ve shortened the gaps between defenders and the Casemiro arrival gives them a legitimate world class player to screen for the back four.
With United and Leicester both looking to keep things tight, it makes the Under 2.5 goals market look like huge value at +126.
Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals (+126 at FanDuel)
Best bet
The best bet for Leicester vs. Man United has to be Under 2.5 goals at +126. We’re just four games into the season and that sample size doesn’t tell the whole story.
If you look at the way both teams have played in recent times, last weekend in particular, then it’s clear both are fairly wasteful in front of goal and both are making sure that they’re defensive-focused and keeping it tight.
Pick: Under 2.5 Goals (+126 at FanDuel)
