It's a starved Goliath against a determined David in today's FA Cup matchup as Bruno Fernandes and the Red Devils take on Raul Jimenez's Cottagers.
Here is my Manchester United vs. Fulham prediction and FA Cup odds for today's match.
Manchester United vs. Fulham Prediction, Pick, Odds
| Man United Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-0.5 +130 | 2.5 -125/-110 | +140 |
| Fulham Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
=0.5 -110 | 2.5 -125/-110 | +180 |
- Manchester United vs. Fulham moneyline odds: Manchester United +140 , Draw +230, Fulham +180
- Manchester United vs. Fulham over/under: 2.5 Goals (Over 2.5, Under 2.5)
- Manchester United vs. Fulham picks: Manchester United to Win
I am backing Manchester United to win in the Manchester United vs. Fulham match.
Manchester United Prediction
Manchester United, the defending champions, are having a historic season — but not in the good sense. A lot has happened since the Red Devils claimed a 13th FA Cup with an unexpected 2-1 win against City. Now, they sit in 14th position in the league (33 points), have a new manager and are quite distant from UEFA Champions League spots.
Ruben Amorim has failed to bring any sort of new energy to United. If anything, he's only stifled whatever worked under Erik ten Hag and found no solution for the old problems. Still, he's had his share of good luck. Harry Maguire scored his second last-minute winner in February on Wednesday, earning United a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Ipswich.
Don't get excited. This is only Amorim's third league win in 11 games, so they clearly have to focus their season-salvaging efforts on the cups. With a Europa League matchup against Real Sociedad in San Sebastián on Thursday, the FA Cup is the only chance for some domestic silverware. They're not doing a bad job. The Red Devils eliminated second-place Arsenal on penalties and then Leicester,
Options are limited for Amorim. Altay Bayindir (muscle), Lisandro Martínez (ACL), Jonny Evans (muscle), Luke Shaw (muscle), Toby Collyer (knock), Kobbie Mainoo (muscle), Mason Mount (thigh) and Amad Diallo (ankle) are all sidelined. Patrick Dorgu's red card on Wednesday means he is suspended.
A big part of the load will fall on midfielder Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese international has nine goals and six assists in 22 FA Cup appearances and leads the way for the Red Devils this season with six goals and seven assists across all competitions.
Fulham Prediction
On the other side of the trophy cabinet spectrum, Fulham has yet to win a major title in its 146-year history. In fact, they haven't made an FA Cup Final appearance since West Ham beat them in 1975.
However, Marco Silva's team has a good flow. They have won four of their past six league matches, including against Wolves 2-1 at Molineux on Tuesday night. They are now in ninth place, just five points away from a Champions League spot. If they qualify for either competition, it'll be their first time in Europe since 2011.
They haven't faced the toughest competition in the FA Cup, though. The Cottagers beat two Championship sides, winning 4-1 against Watford and 2-1 vs Wigan.
Marco Silva rotated on Tuesday, so most of his top performers should be available. Calvin Bassey, Antonee Robinson and Alex Iwobi will return to the lineup, but Kenny Tete (knee), Reiss Nelson (hamstring) and Harry Wilson (foot) are out. Emile Smith Rowe (ankle) is in doubt.
While Steven Benda has been the go-to for the cup competition, Bernd Leno is available should the manager call on him. Striker Raul Jimenez, who only featured 20 minutes against Wolves, will likely make a comeback.
Manchester United vs. Fulham Pick
Yes, United is terrible, but I'm not convinced Fulham is all that much better. The Red Devils have already beaten Marco Silva's team twice this season: a 1-o at Old Trafford in August and then another at Craven Cottage in January.
Fulham have won just one of their past 21 meetings with the Red Devils. In fact, United have progressed from their past nine FA Cup ties against Fulham since a 2-1 quarterfinal defeat in 1908, the last one coming in 2022-23.
United hasn't had a clean sheet since December, but Fulham's defense also leaves much to be desired. If Amorim plays it smart, there's no reason he shouldn't walk away with the win.
