Tottenham will have a great opportunity to break out of their scoring slump and put pressure on a Manchester United defence that is currently dealing with injuries.
This Sunday, a critical Premier League encounter between two Big Six clubs—a struggling Tottenham Hotspur and a hampered Manchester United—will take place.
Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou are both in quest of answers, and both teams are in dire need of points since they are in a relegation struggle rather than a Top 4 race.
In my Sunday, February 16th, Tottenham vs. Manchester United predictions and picks, I explain why the home team should reach the back of the net.
Tottenham vs. Manchester United Premier League predictions
Under 1.5 goals scored by the Tottenham club is my best bet (-121 with TonyBet).
This is what I’ve determined
Over the previous week, Tottenham have struggled to find the back of the net. They lost 2-1 at Aston Villa last Saturday, putting an end to their FA Cup hopes, following a 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final. In that time, their lone goal came from new loanee Mathys Tel, who netted a consolation marker in stoppage time.
However, Tottenham will be playing Manchester United at home for the second time this season after spending seven of their previous nine games on the road. After scoring three goals in the first hour of the match, Spurs went on to defeat Manchester United 4-3 and eliminate them from the Carabao Cup.
Actually, 3-0 at Old Trafford in September was the first of Tottenham’s two victories over Manchester United this season. In less than three minutes, Spurs found the back of the net, and they went on to dominate the game and rack up 4.59 xG.
Spurs are hoping to get back on track now that a number of important players are expected to return from injuries. Players like Guglielmo Vicario, Brennan Johnson, Destiny Udogie, and James Maddison should be available for selection, even though they might not start.
With Dominic Solanke and Richarlison out with injuries, Tel should also start up front. In addition to being a threat with the ball in his foot, Tel is also a formidable opponent in aerial battles. He should be able to trouble a Manchester United defence that is having trouble defending set pieces and crosses with the help of Heung-Min Son and Dejan Kulusevski.
Conversely, Manchester United might have to let go of certain trainers. The injury to winger Amad Diallo’s ankle ligament was announced on Saturday morning, and he may miss the rest of the season. In addition, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer are questionable for Sunday’s match, and midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is expected to miss a number of weeks due to an injury he sustained during training this week.
As a result, Amorim will most likely start Christian Eriksen and Casemiro together in the middle of his 3-4-2-1 formation, or he will pair Casemiro with Bruno Fernandes. No matter who starts, Tottenham will be able to punish them with their pace and unleash waves of pressure on a United defence that isn’t very strong.
For the sixth match in a row across all competitions, I’m taking Tottenham to score two or more goals against a Manchester United side that is struggling and lacks confidence, thanks to Tottenham’s quick counterattacks. Before the markets respond to the injury news, I would wager up to -130 and play it fast.
The Star Player Props of Heung-Min Son
Even though Son hasn’t played in two of United’s last three matches, he scored in their most recent encounter and has scored twice in his past three games versus United. His two attempts from open play were both missed the mark, but he scored with an incredible Olympico goal.
Son has a +143 score, therefore I’m not going to bet on him. In his last ten games, he has scored just three goals, and he has gone five games without scoring at all. But I think a price of +359 would be a good way to help.
The reason behind this is that he will be taking corner kicks against Manchester United, a Premier League club that has let in more goals from set pieces than any other. Plus, I think the Red Devils will have to sit back and give the ball more because of their lineup dilemma, which means Tottenham will have more opportunities to score from corners.
Three shots are required to hit at -139 odds for shot bettors, and four shots are priced at +190. Two of those attempts are required to attain the goal, which can be obtained at +154, in order to prevent heavy juice.
He has shot props that I will avoid at all costs. Son has attempted just seven shots, with four of them finding the back of the net, in his last four league games. This is in contrast to his 2.38 shots per 90 minutes and 1.25 shots on target averages in the Premier League. Additionally, just two of his last ten starts have featured multiple shots on goal.
