Manchester United vs Everton Picks and Predictions: Keeping It Lowkey at Old Trafford

A side fighting for the Champions League will do battle with a side fighting for their Premier League survival on Saturday when Manchester United hosts Everton at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils will be hoping to continue their long unbeaten run in front of their faithful supporters, while the Toffees seek just their third away victory in all competitions this season.

Erik ten Hag will be boosted by the possible return of a key midfielder, and his side’s 1-0 win over Brentford in midweek. As for the visitors, new manager Sean Dyche has improved fortunes but has just two points from four away matches in charge. 

Everton hope to secure a result against a Big Six club for the third match running, but will Manchester United spoil the party and keep them mired in the relegation scrap? Let’s discuss that and more in our Manchester United vs. Everton free betting picks for Saturday, April 8. 

Manchester United vs Everton best odds

Manchester United vs Everton picks and predictions

Manchester United’s win over Brighton came courtesy of yet another goal from Marcus Rashford. The forward is still in excellent form, and his 11 goals since the World Cup are the most of any Premier League player in that span – and just one fewer than Chelsea have scored as a club since play resumed.

But for as good as Man U looked, they still managed just one goal. It was their first goal in four Premier League matches, as Rashford spared them from being the first squad in the club’s history to go four without a goal since 1989. 

Now, they host an Everton side that will be without a key piece to their midfield, a player who has not only been scoring goals but has been key to their ability to compete with the bigger clubs of late. With him out, and the Red Devils struggling to score, it’s easy to see why the Under 2.5 is my best bet for this match.

At a price of even money or better, it’s the least-favored side of this match’s total. However, I believe it's the correct side. The Red Devils don’t concede much at Old Trafford under ten Hag. In fact, they’ve kept 14 clean sheets in their last 24 matches at home, and only twice in that span have they allowed multiple goals. Their last three Premier League home fixtures have resulted in clean sheets, as have eight of their last 11. 

On the flip side, the Toffees have been a bit better of late, scoring two goals in each of their last away fixtures to Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, but prior to that, they’d gone three straight without scoring and have failed to score in seven of their last 10 away from home in the league.

While Dyche has certainly improved their play, much of that has stemmed from the three-man midfield including Abdoulaye Doucoure. He has scored two of Everton’s four goals in their last two away fixtures and has been involved in three of their last six over the past four weeks. He will miss the match after picking up a red card for violent conduct against Tottenham, and his absence will severely impact their hopes of getting a result – or even scoring a goal.

The Red Devils have Sevilla visiting on Thursday for a key Europa League clash, and I see ten Hag trying to get out of this match without any more injuries. He’ll be happy to get a goal or two and call it a day, and Everton will want to keep things tight at the back and try to steal a result late.

With how the teams are playing and given the focus for both managers, this should be a cagey, low-scoring affair and I’ll gladly take the Under at a favorable price. 

My best bet: Under 2.5 (+105 at PointsBet)

Manchester United vs Everton side analysis

For those looking to play a 3-way line wager, your choices aren’t the greatest. Manchester United is favored to defeat Everton for the third time this season, following a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture and a 3-1 win in the FA Cup at Old Trafford.

While they'll be without Casemiro in the midfield, ten Hag announced on Friday morning that midfielder Christian Eriksen could make the bench. He also stated that Luke Shaw’s injury is not as bad as feared, and he could play on Saturday as well.

For Everton, they’re still without the services of striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Doucoure will serve the first of a three-match suspension. James Garner could take his place, getting a rare start against his former club. There is also a possibility that Dyche could switch back to a 3-4-3 setup out of the 4-5-1 look he’s had in recent weeks.

Everton don’t win at Old Trafford. In fact, they don’t really beat Man United at all. Should the Red Devils take all three points, it would be their 39th win in the Premier League over the Toffees, tying the league record for the most wins over one opponent – which ironically enough is already held by Manchester United against Tottenham. 

While Everton has drawn in each of their last four visits in the Premier League, they’ve won just once in 29 and that came a decade ago. They’ve also won just two of their last 31 away in the league. The Red Devils are unbeaten in their last 23 at home in all competitions, and 13 in the league. 

The value of +350 for the draw may be tempting, but I don’t see Man United dropping points here. They’re simply the better team, and Rashford’s form will be the difference once again. Take the Man United moneyline as a parlay piece, but nothing more. 

Manchester United vs Everton Over/Under analysis

The last meeting between these two in the FA Cup saw four goals – but they included a horrible error by David de Gea, an own-goal by Conor Coady, and a 97th-minute penalty. Prior to that, their 2-1 win saw a combined xG of less than 2.0 goals, but that was when Frank Lampard was in charge of Everton, and Man United were scoring for fun.

Everton’s last three away matches have all seen Over 2.5 goals, but prior to that, the Under was the play in six of seven away fixtures. As for the Red Devils, four of their last five in all competitions have gone Under 2.5 goals, including two of the last three at home. Their last two in Premier League play have also gone Under, with just one goal scored in total.

With Shaw and Eriksen still questionable for Man United and Casemiro still out, their attack simply isn’t the same and they have to be a bit more conservative in pushing midfielders forward. The same goes for Everton without Doucoure, as they will likely need someone to step up and create. 

While just one of the last five meetings at Old Trafford between these sides has gone Under 2.5 goals, I still feel conditions set up for the best bet. Trends are great, but you have to look at each contest within a bubble, and the matchup sets up nicely to take advantage of the higher odds for the Under. 

Manchester United vs Everton game info

Manchester United vs Everton key injuries

Manchester United: Christian Eriksen M (Questionable), Donny van de Beek M (Out), Casemiro M (Out), Luke Shaw D (Questionable).
Everton: Abdoulaye Doucoure M (Out), Dominic Calvert-Lewin F (Doubtful), James Garner M (Probable).

Manchester United vs Everton recent form

Teams	Last five matches
Manchester United	W-W-D-W-L
Everton	W-L-W-L-L

Manchester United vs Everton weather

It will be a beautiful day in the northwest of England on Saturday. With plenty of sunshine, temperatures in the low-60s, and no rain at all to contend with, it should be an enjoyable day of football for players and fans alike. 

Pages related to this topic