Manchester United vs Tottenham Predictions and Picks: Don't Ignore the Value Looming in Manchester

Sunday's matchup features a club that is likely going to waste opportunities and one that’s going to struggle to create them. Find out how this affects Jason Ence's handicap in our Manchester United vs. Tottenham betting picks.

Jason Ence - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Jason Ence • Betting Analyst
Jan 13, 2024 • 15:05 ET • 4 min read
Pedro Porro Tottenham Hotspur EPL
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

Manchester United hopes the return of multiple players will help them secure victory on Sunday when they play host to Tottenham at Old Trafford. Our Premier League odds currently have the Red Devils favored to claim all three points at home.

Erik ten Hag will be thankful to have seen his side advance in the FA Cup earlier this week, albeit while missing numerous chances in a 2-0 win. It was the seventh match in their last 10 without a goal from a forward. Now his side turns attention back to the Premier League, where they’ve already lost four times at home this season.

For Spurs, they’re hoping to navigate the next few weeks without Heung-min Son and remain in the title conversation. Timo Werner will hope to debut for Ange Postecoglou after joining the club on loan this week, while they’ll hope to navigate numerous absences in midfield.

Our Manchester United vs Tottenham soccer picks and predictions for Sunday, January 14 look at the odds and discuss a high-priced wager that’s offering better value than it should.

Manchester United vs Tottenham best odds

EPL predictions for Manchester United vs Tottenham

The struggles Man United have had in attack are well documented, but their win over Wigan was a prime example of how wasteful they’ve been this season. They put 14 of their 33 shots on goal, and notched 4.03 expected goals — and needed a long-range curler from a defender and a Bruno Fernandes penalty to get their only goals.

Rasmus Hojlund has scored just one goal in Premier League play, notching the winner in their comeback against Aston Villa in their last home fixture. Marcus Rashford has had a poor season, although he scored in their last Premier League match against Nottingham Forest.

That makes it difficult to win matches and take advantage of teams that aren’t at full strength. And that’s the situation they’re facing when Tottenham visits.

Spurs have conceded 29 Premier League goals this season, including four to Brighton on their last road trip. It was the sixth time in their 11 away matches across all competitions in which they conceded two or more goals.

For all their success this season, Spurs haven’t performed well on the road against teams in the top half of the Premier League table. Their only victories came against Bournemouth, Burnley, Luton, Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest. Three of those clubs are involved in the relegation battle.

The absence of both Son and James Maddison robs Spurs of much of its creativity, putting more pressure on Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison to generate opportunities. Against Burnley last weekend in the FA Cup, it was enough to eke out a 1-0 win, but it took a goal from fullback Pedro Porro to advance as they managed only seven efforts on goal.

More importantly, Spurs failed to register a single big chance in the match. Son generated two by himself the week before in their win over Bournemouth.

All that said, I’d easily back Manchester United to get the win if they were able to convert chances. However, this is a matchup between a team that is likely going to waste opportunities and a team that’s going to struggle to create them.

This leads us to the draw offering substantial value for a match between two teams with so many question marks.

At +300 odds, the implied probability of a draw is 25%. I have this projected at higher than 30% probability to be level at full-time, and that’s too much of an edge to ignore in these circumstances.

My best bet: Draw (+300 at TonyBet)

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Manchester United vs Tottenham same-game parlay

Draw

Pedro Porro over 1.5 tackles

Both teams to score - Yes

Porro has been outstanding for Spurs at both ends of the pitch. Defensively he’s done a great job of late, with two or more tackles in each of his last five Premier League appearances. In fact, Porro's racked up multiple tackles in 16 of his 19 matches in league play.

Both of these defenses are leaky in transition, and both are prone to turnovers in dangerous positions. They’re also able to be had on set pieces. While we discussed the creativity problems for Spurs and the finishing issues for Man United, there’s still a very high probability that neither team escapes with a clean sheet.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

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Manchester United vs Tottenham side and Over/Under analysis

Man United are getting +115 at most places on the 3-way line, with that price coming down a bit since opening just before New Year's. Spurs have seen their price switch from around +250 to +200, while the draw has gone up from +260 to as high as +300.

The Red Devils have won three of their last four at home in league play, including wins over Aston Villa and Chelsea. Spurs have lost two of their last four league matches away, with a win over Forest and a draw at Manchester City.

The total has been moving quite a bit since it opened, with the Over 2.5 going from -175 to as high as -250. Even DraftKings, who has moved their line to 3.25 goals, is pricing the Over at -130.

Tottenham’s 10 away matches in the Premier League have been high-scoring affairs, which is a key driver for this. However, the absences of Son, Yves Bissouma, and Pape Sarr for international tournaments must be taken into consideration. Man United will also still have goalkeeper Andre Onana, who will depart right after the match to join Cameroon for AFCON action.

With the current prices being offered, a 1-1 score is very probable, and +188 for the Under at bet365 is worth considering as well. 

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Manchester United vs Tottenham game info

Location: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
Date: Sunday, January 14, 2023
Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
TV: Network
Weather: 37F, 78% humidity, 0% chance of precipitation

Manchester United vs Tottenham key injuries

Manchester United: Lisandro Martinez D (Questionable), Mason Mount M (Out), Luke Shaw D (Questionable).
Tottenham: Heung-min Son F (Out), James Maddison M (Out), Yves Bissouma M (Out).

Manchester United vs Tottenham recent league form

Teams Recent Premier League Form
Manchester United Manchester United L-W-L-D-L
Tottenham Tottenham W-L-W-W-W

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Jason Ence - Covers
Betting Analyst

Jason has been hooked on soccer since watching Real Madrid and Manchester United in the 2003 Champions League, and has been betting on the sport for nearly 15 years. He has given soccer gambling and fantasy advice for nearly a decade, writing for sites including Rotowire, SB Nation, and The TwinSpires Edge.

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