Manchester United return home on Sunday to host Leicester City in an important Premier League battle.
As the title race ahead of them begins to tighten up, the Red Devils suddenly find themselves just five points back of joint leaders Man City and Arsenal. While Leicester are in the bottom half of the table, they’ve begun to get healthy and are riding a two-match win streak after a 4-1 defeat of Tottenham just a week ago.
Check out our Manchester United vs. Leicester City picks and predictions for Sunday, February 19.
Manchester United vs Leicester City best odds
Manchester United vs Leicester City picks and predictions
Marcus Rashford is inevitable. When his side needs a big goal, he comes through again and again. His 13 goals since the resumption of play following the World Cup are the most of any player in Europe’s top five leagues, and he’s now scored in four straight for the Red Devils.
Perhaps more important than the fact that he’s scoring, is when he’s scoring. Rashford has either scored the winner or equalizer in three of those four matches, including the 1-1 leveler just two minutes after Barcelona took the lead on Thursday.
He’s going to be licking his chops against Leicester on Sunday. The Foxes have improved of late, winning three in a row across all competitions, including a 4-1 thumping of Spurs. They’re getting healthier, with Brendan Rodgers announcing on Friday that as many as four players could make their return this weekend, but the one player who isn’t back yet is right-back James Justin.
Justin’s presence has been sorely missed, and he would vastly improve a defense that has yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League in their seven matches since play resumed following the World Cup.
It would also help solidify the right side of their team, which has been a major focus of opposing attacks over the past month. Timothy Castagne has been in a bit of poor form of late, and many fans are calling for him to be dropped after multiple mistakes.
Fulham’s only goal in their 1-0 defeat of Leicester came from the left, with Willian finding Aleksandar Mitrovic. A week later, Nottingham Forest got two assists from their left-side striker in their 2-0 win. Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma scored from the left, while left-back Pervis Estupinan assisted twice from that flank as they drew 2-2 with the Foxes.
The trend continued in Leicester’s 4-2 win over Aston Villa. Left midfielder Emiliano Buendia hit the woodwork two separate times, while left-sided striker Ollie Watkins scored in a 4-4-2 setup. Last weekend, while Tottenham’s lone goal came from a set piece, their three best non-goal scoring chances came from players cutting in from Leicester’s right side and firing across goal.
While fullback Ricardo Pereira is finally available following an Achilles tear, he played just two minutes against Spurs, and expecting him to slow down Rashford would be a tough ask.
Most books have Rashford around the -110 to +105 range to score, and I would play those numbers. With the run of form he’s on, I’d play him up to -120 to score.
My best bet: Marcus Rashford anytime goalscorer (+130 at FanDuel)
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Manchester United vs Leicester City side analysis
The Red Devils are undefeated in their last seven matches, and their only loss since the World Cup was a 3-2 defeat at Arsenal. Man United’s 2-2 draw with Leeds last weekend ended a stretch of 13 consecutive victories at Old Trafford in all competitions.
Casemiro’s suspension will conclude following this match, and his absence has been quite noticeable.
Leicester opened the Premier League campaign with five successive away defeats, but have won four of their last six. That said, three of those four wins came against teams currently residing in the bottom five spots of the table.
In addition to fullbacks James and Ryan Bertrand still being out, centerback Jonny Evans is also set to miss out with a thigh injury. Midfielder Youri Tielemans is possible to return having been out with a calf injury.
Leicester drew 1-1 and won 2-1 the season before in their last two visits to Old Trafford, but the squads Manchester United ran out on both occasions were quite hodge-podge. That won’t be the case on Sunday, which is why they are considerable favorites and should walk away with all three points.
Manchester United vs Leicester City Over/Under analysis
The total of 2.5 is juiced quite heavily towards the Over, which is why some books like DraftKings have already bumped the total to a full 3.0. That’s not surprising, considering just two of Man United’s last 11 matches in all competitions at Old Trafford have gone below that number. Three or more goals have also been scored in six of their last eight overall.
Not only have the Foxes not kept a clean sheet since the World Cup in Premier League play, but they’ve also kept just three on the road all season — against three of the five worst teams in the league.
In their visits to Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Liverpool, they’ve conceded 14 goals. That’s a big reason why their last three matches in the league have all gone Over 2.5, as have eight of their 11 Premier League away fixtures.
That said, the recent history between these two sides is split. Three of the last six meetings at Old Trafford have seen two or fewer goals, as have both of their last two meetings at all venues. Man United won the reverse fixture 1-0 back in September.
I would stay away from the total unless it’s in a parlay.
Manchester United vs Leicester City game info
| Location: | Old Trafford, Manchester, England |
| Date: | Sunday, February 19, 2023 |
| Time: | 9:00 a.m. ET |
| TV: | USA Network |
Manchester United vs Leicester City key injuries
Manchester United: Casemiro M (Out), Antony F (Out), Anthony Martial F (Out).
Leicester City: Youri Tielemans M (Probable), Jonny Evans D (Out), Boubakary Soumare D (Probable).
Manchester United vs Leicester City recent form
| Teams | Last five matches |
|---|---|
 Manchester United |
W-L-W-D-W |
 Leicester City |
W-W-L-W-W |
Manchester United vs Leicester City weather
After a rainy morning, conditions should clear up around kickoff with temperatures in the mid-40s and a very slight chance of rain throughout the match. Winds will be minimal, with gusts in the low teens.
