5 games into the season and neither Tottenham or Manchester United are especially happy with where they currently stand in the Premier League. Both have won 2 games, drawn 1 and lost 2 and are a good 6 points off Manchester City at the top of the EPL, and 4 points behind Arsenal in 4th place. This clash at Old Trafford holds great importance for both teams and on the surface of it, looks to be a fairly evenly matched matchup.
The bookies are backing United to win this game but not by a tremendous margin, in truth, the odds on either team to win are well-priced. A draw comes at surprisingly long odds, and going on the fact that 2 of the last 3 games between these teams have ended without a winner, a draw is a value pick for daring punters. Historically, Man Utd vs Spurs game bring us lots of goals without the “dark arts” that can be seen between teams with a more direct rivalry. But they are both battling to break into the top 5, and are both in the Europa League this year. This game may carry more significance than it seems at first glance.
Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspurs Match Details
September 29, Sunday 16:30 GMT @ Old Trafford
In the past 5 H2H games between these two, United have won twice, Tottenham won once, and two games have ended in draws. The last game between the two was at Old Trafford, and featured 3 first half goals, with United scoring the first goal in the third minute. 2-1 behind at the beginning of the second half, Tottenham netted in the 46th minute and the game ended 2-2.
Tottenham won the game before that, beating United at home 2-0. United last beat Tottenham back in 2022, in a 2-0 win at Old Trafford. Ten Haag may be the more settled of the two managers, with 2 full seasons under his belt, but his team still suffers from inconsistency. Ange Postecoglou has had a year to implement his plan, and now in his second year the pressure is on.
Manchester United Moneyline @ 13/10
Draw @ 11/4
Tottenham @ 37/20
Team Previews
The Red Devils look better in attack this year, but they cannot seem to break defenses and struggle converting chances. Amad Diallo has earned his place in the starting xi, and Christian Eriksen has contributed greatly to attacks, even if he is prone to the occasional error. The signings of de Ligt, Mazraoui and Ugarte have already improved the squad, but United will now have to focus on their attack. Zirkzee has had a slow start, but between him and Hojlund, Ten Haag will need to find a goalscorer to convert those much needed goals.
Tottenham have a similar problem, in that they are trying to figure out who to rely on for goals. Dominic Solanke finally netted his first goal for Tottenham in a 3-1 victory over Brentford, after frustrating games against Arsenal, and Leicester. The team has no shortage of striking options, with the likes of Heung-min Son, Timo Werner, and Dejan Kulusevski all capable of playing down the centre. James Maddison is one to watch for Spurs, regularly opening up defenses with his pinpoint passes. And with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven partnered in defense, Tottenham looks well built to repel United’s attacks.
Bet Builder Picks
We mentioned that historically games between these two register lots of goals. Adding to that, these games have not drawn many bookings either, but we expect this upcoming match will be very different. This means we are going a little different with our betting picks. Some of our team at BettingTools would go as far as backing the 0-0 draw, as both teams have extremely strong defensive lineups. We don’t expect either to play a high block, as there are simply too many speedy attacking players, and the likes of Bruno Fernandes, James Maddison and Christian Eriksen can deliver deep balls to start devastating counter attacks.
Therefore, we are predicting a game with fewer goals and possibly lots of cards as tensions will run high. They are both in the same position and though United are playing at home, Spurs will fancy their chances of catching their opponents. Man Utd, or should we say, Eric Ten Haag, desperately needs a win here, as his team is simply not producing the results yet, not matter how much more positive they look.
Picking the Result
The draw is extremely tempting, but we reckon that United will be far more ruthless than they were against Crystal Palace and against FC Twente during the week. If they get that all important first goal, we may even see them closing up completely and running out a 1-0 win. Spurs conceded first in their games against Newcastle and Arsenal, which both ended in losses.
One thing we are sure of: whoever scores the first goal will have to buckle up. Both teams play better when they are behind, prompting us to believe the game can end in a draw. Nevertheless, we will back United on home ground to beat Tottenham.
Manchester United Moneyline @ 13/10
Can Both Teams Continue the Goal Fest
Both teams have skilled attacking players, but we don’t think this game will bring lots of goals. As to whether both teams will score, it is just too tough to say. Our experts reckon it is worth checking out the alt points totals lines. We will go with a higher line of 4.5 and bet under, which comes with just the right balance of risk to reward.
Under 4.5 Goals @ 8/25
High Tensions and Possible Bookings
This year, referees are going after the time wasters, and have already shown a ruthless determination to show yellow, and even red, for innocous offences such as kicking the ball away when it is out of play. Manchester United and Tottenham both have their fair share of players who are guilty of time wasting. Plus, there are players such as Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo and Rodrigo Bentancur who seem to pick up yellow cards every other game. This match has not brought many bookings in the past few seasons. Last five H2H games brought: 3 yellows, 4 yellows, 3 yellows, 1 yellow, and 3 yellows.
However, given the stricter rules and frustrating start for both teams, we are expecting the challenges to come flying in. Chris Kavanagh gave out 6 yellows in his last EPL game, and before that in the last season, he showed 7 yellows and 1 red in Arsenal vs Brighton. We expect him to keep his little black book in hand and the game to bring lots of late bookings.
Total Cards Over 4.5 @ 3/4
Corners to Open the Defenses
Tottenham’s five Premier League games have brought@ 13, 13, 19, 17, and 15 corner kicks each (working backwards from Round 5 to 1). United has 15, 7, 7, 8 and 15. Our theory is that here there won’t be too many clean breaks and easy scoring opportunities. Both United and Spurs will be kept on the edge of the box and this will force them to try to either work through the flanks or attempt shooting from distance. Either of these scenarios will bring up the corner tally, and one corner can easily turn into 2 or 3 if the pressure is applied right. Therefore, we will pick a good line of 11.5 and bet Over.
Total Corners Over 4.5 @ 4/5
BettingTools Man Utd vs Tottenham Bet Builder Predictions
The riskiest pick here is Manchester United to win, which does not seem too far fetched. They are at home, and Tottenham has shared similar problems with consistency. Both teams have found their best defensive partnerings (Martinez x de Ligt and Romero x Van de Ven), which gives us good reason to believe goals will not come in rapid succession. Corners, on the other hand, are a viable option for both teams as they look to open the scoring. And where defenses are pushed to their limit, there are surely cards to come flying in.
Of course, there are other bets that you can add or use instead in your bet slip. Both Teams to Score, Goalscorer and Player to Receive a Card are all solid props bets, but we feel that our picks offer the best coverage. You can even place this bet, and try hedging it with another to attempt to cut your losses or boost your total profit.
