Manchester United are still unbeaten under new manager Ralf Rangnick, but they haven’t always been convincing. On Monday, they continue to chase a spot in the top four as they welcome Wolves to Old Trafford with the midlands club only two wins behind them in the Premier League.
Will Man U secure points or will we see the first loss of the Ralf Rangnick era? Don’t miss our Man U vs. Wolves tips and predictions.
Manchester United vs Wolves match odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare EPL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Manchester United vs Wolves betting tips
- Prediction: Draw (+333)
- Prediction: Under 2.5 total goals (-125)
- Best bet: Correct score 0-0 (+1,000)
Predictions made on 01/01/2022 at 6:45 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Manchester United vs Wolves game info
• Location: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
• Date: Monday, January 3, 2022
• Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
• TV: USA Network, DAZN
Manchester United vs Wolves betting preview
Weather
Temperatures in the mid-40s and rain won’t make this the most enjoyable game for the players but it’ll create an atmosphere at Old Trafford.
Injuries
Manchester United: Paul Pogba (Out), Victor Lindelof (Out), Anthony Martial (Out), Eric Bailly (Doubtful).
Wolves: Pedro Neto (Out), Hwang Hee-chan (Out), Willy Boly (Out), Jonny Otto (Out).
Manchester United vs Wolves predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Side analysis
Manchester United continue their campaign with their first home game of 2022. It may be a new year but the target still remains the same for Ralf Rangnick and Man U, finishing in the top four spots and gaining entry to next season’s Champions League.
For even the most optimistic Man U fan, there is surely no belief that they can win the Premier League this season with Man City, Liverpool, and Chelsea all in the distance. Their competition is Arsenal, West Ham, Tottenham, and potentially even Leicester and Monday’s opponents Wolves, with those two not that far behind sixth-place Man U in the Premier League table.
New Wolves manager Bruno Lage and his team are quietly going about their business, but they’re doing quite well and could be more of a threat than many realize. It’s early days for the Portuguese manager, but the 45-year-old has regrouped this Wolves team following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo. Wolves finished 13th last year and Santo looked to have lost the magic that saw his team get promoted into the Premier League and then finish seventh in both of the following two seasons. Lage’s team might not be easy on the eye, with only Norwich City scoring less than their 13 goals, but they’re rock solid at the back, conceding just 14 goals in 18 games, a stat that puts them amongst the best in the league.
Wolves' defensive strength could be the difference-maker at Old Trafford with Man U struggling to break teams down. In his three games in charge, United only scored five goals. They let Burnley score in last week’s 3-1 home win, narrowly beat Norwich 1-0, and drew 1-1 with Newcastle in a game they probably deserved to lose.
Wolves will set up in their usual formation with three CBs flanked by Nelson Semedo and Fernando Marcal, the fullbacks who’ll have responsibilities to join the attacks. Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves will pull the strings in the middle of the park, but they might struggle for space against United’s midfield.
We don’t know the composition of United’s midfield but you’d imagine Scott McTominay would return in one of the two holding spots, given his great form this season, and Bruno Fernandes should return from suspension to take one of the two spots in front of him. He'll likely be paired with Jadon Sancho.
United’s struggling defense should have an easy day against Wolves, who haven’t been great in front of goal this year, but Lage will look to get Adama Traore and Trincao up and supporting Raul Jiminez, who’ll be playing through the middle and having a battle with Harry Maguire.
Despite concerns around the attitude of the squad, it’s clear that United have the better roster. I’m still unconvinced that they've bought in on Rangnick’s unusual 4-2-2-2 set up. They should get three points - and with Ronaldo, it’s always a strong possibility - but the draw at +333 looks like the best value here.
Prediction: Draw (+333)
Over/Under analysis
It should be obvious by now that we’ll be backing the Under. As mentioned, Wolves have struggled to score goals and we can’t rely on them to notch. Likewise, they’ve been brilliant at stopping opponents and that bodes well against a United attack that hasn't exactly shone under Rangnick.
When Wolves travel, they set up to not lose rather than win. In nine games on the road, they’ve conceded just seven goals and just one of those has resulted in Over 2.5 goals. That gives them an incredible 88.9% record of Unders when on the road.
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals (-125)
Best bet
I love the +333 odds on the moneyline as well as the -125 available on Under 2.5 goals, but I’ve decided to go one step further.
My best bet for this game is about pure value and at +1000, I think it offers a great price and that’s on the final score to be 0-0. We’ve already spoken about Man United’s lack of cutting edge under Rangnick and Wolves’ great defense on the road.
United only won the reverse fixture 1-0 at the start of the season and I don’t believe they’re any better now than they were then. Big 10/1 odds on this game finishing 0-0 feel underpriced to me. It would be United’s first 0-0 of the season, but we’ve seen it three times from Wolves already this term, most notably in their last game when they held a far better team, Chelsea, to that scoreless draw.
Pick: Correct score 0-0 (+1,000)
