Welcome to August! The start of August means we are just weeks away from the beginning of the Premier League season. Where has the time gone? It feels like just yesterday we were sweating the final matchday of the season. It was a matchday that saw Manchester City win their fourth title in a row.
With Premier League newcomers Southampton, Ipswich Town, and Leicester City joining this season, we should expect great races at the top and bottom of the table.
For the next two weeks, I will provide a betting preview for the newcomers and the top teams in the league.
This week, our focus is on Manchester United.
Manchester United Betting Preview
Can Manchester United (+2000) Win the League?
The short answer? No.
Despite winning silverware last season, Erik Ten Hag led United to their worst season in Premier League history. Much would have to change for me to have confidence in them winning the league, even with the attractive price of +2000.
Finishing eighth on the table and eight points shy of a Champions League berth was a significant letdown for United and their supporters.
United’s biggest issue was their lack of goals compared to their conceded goals. They only scored 57 goals while conceding 58. Their 57 scored goals were 19 fewer than any team who qualified for Europe.
They brought in Rasmus Hojlund last offseason. However, he could only find the back of the net 10 times in 30 matches.
Let’s not forget Ten Hag was on the hot seat before Sir Jim Ratcliffe extended his contract. Recently, Ratcliffe suggested that aiming for the Premier League title this season would be too high, and I agree.
United’s goal should be a return to the Champions League. Without Champions League fixtures congesting their schedule, they should make a serious run at the top four.
As poor as United were defensively, they should feel some reprieve. Star center-back Lisandro Martinez is healthy and steadily improving. They will also have the services of Luke Shaw, who missed time last season.
The signing of 18-year-old center-back Leny Yoro has generated a lot of excitement. However, he and Hojlund are expected to miss extended time due to current injuries.
They should see a climb up the table if they can improve defensively. Finishing inside the top four (+185) is not out of reach. However, I have them closer to sixth in my power rankings.
Players to Watch
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes will be the engine that makes this team run this season. Last year, he started 35 matches and had 18 goal contributions. His eight assists tie his tally from the previous season. Right now, the over 9.5 assist line is set at -150. He has not eclipsed that number in his last three seasons. He’s only gone over that number once in his five seasons.
He will need to contribute more if his team is to contend, let alone finish inside the top four.
Bet the Edge is your source for the day in sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays beginning at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Andre Onana
During the last offseason, there was a notion that Andre Onana was the transfer of the window. However, his first season with United was anything but amazing. The Cameroonian goalkeeper conceded 58 goals last season. His next closest tally was in 2015-16 when he played in the Eerste Divisie for Jong Ajax.
Onana is not entirely to blame for the excessive number of goals conceded. Goals are bound to happen when your team allows a ton of shots. However, Onana is a player to watch. If his play improves in year two in the Premier League, then we should see a massive increase in Manchester United’s level of play.
Favorite Manchester United Bet
Jadon Sancho’s return at the end of his loan to Borussia Dortmund is huge for United. His creativity should help raise the goal tally for his squad this season. Bringing in Joshua Zirkzee should help the attack and Yoro should help bolster this back line and give them some much-needed added depth.
However, is that enough to get them inside the top four? Probably not. The problem is that there isn’t any value in them not finishing inside the top four at -275.
There is a bet that correlates with them finishing outside the top four, which I like: Manchester United Under 64 Points (-120).
Last season, there was a sense that it was an excellent season to be a bad team. With the newly promoted teams’ low levels, you were almost guaranteed at least six points during the three road trips.
Manchester United earned 60 points last season, 39 from bottom-half clubs and 16 from newly promoted clubs.
The expectation is that the newly promoted teams this season should be stronger than the three from the last. This means teams in the bottom half will play tighter, knowing they must earn points when they can and not throw away any opportunities.
