Man United vs. Everton Odds
Man United Odds | -210 |
Everton Odds | +600 |
Draw | +350 |
Over/Under | 2.5 (-130 / +105) |
Day | Time | Saturday | 7:30 a.m. ET |
How To Watch | NBCSN | fuboTV |
Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here. |
Manchester United and Everton are even on points, but not in mood as they approach Saturday's Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
Consecutive home losses to West Ham United in the Carabao Cup and Aston Villa in the league have mounted the pressure on Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. A midweek home Champions League win over Villareal will provide only a partial respitel.
Everton boss Rafa Benitez has mostly won the approval supporters despite his past on the red half of Merseyside after the Toffees have scored 12 goals in their first six Premier League games.
A win for either club would guarantee finishing the weekend no worse than tied for second on points in the league table.
Roller Coaster Continues for Manchester United
Despite the Red Devils' early hiccups, Wednesday's dramatic UCL win had all the earmarks of the glory days under legendary manager Alex Ferguson, including a stoppage-time winner from Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 36-year-old Portuguese star's return has been most of what could've been imagined, with three goals in three league appearances and two more in the Champions League group stage.
Whether he can shoulder a third start in eight days back-to-back 90 minute shifts is a fair question, though.
With or without Ronaldo, Solskjaer's squad's struggles have been more consistent in defense relative to expectations.
The Red Devils have kept only one clean sheet in eight matches in all competitions. That came against a Wolverhampton Wanderers side that generated 1.8 expected goals on the day.
With center back Harry Maguire still out and fullback Luke Shaw doubtful due to illness, the favored hosts might be wise to score more than once.
Can Everton Overcome Injuries at Old Trafford?
The Benitez era encountered its turbulence two weekends ago in a 3-0 league loss at Aston Villa. A midweek exit from the Carabao Cup on penalties followed, after a 2-2 draw at second-tier Queens Park Rangers.
But concerns that injury absences for Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin would arrest the Toffees early progress were somewhat quelled in last Saturday's 2-0 win home win over Norwich City.
The Canaries aren't exactly the cream of the EPL crop. Still, the relative ease with which the Toffees solved a bunkering opponent contrasted sharply with their difficulty doing so under Carlo Ancelotti last season.
Despite their bright start, the Toffees have let in the opener in four of their six league matches. They've overcome that leakiness with strong supplemental attacking play from Andros Townsend and Abdoulaye Doucouré.
The midfield pair has collectively seized the opportunity created by James Rodriguez's departure, combining for four goals and five assists in the league so far.
In addition to Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin, midfielder Andre Gomes is out and winger Alex Iwobi is doubtful.
Betting Analysis & Pick
With a healthy Richarlison and/or Calvert-Lewin, taking the visitors to earn a result here would be pretty obvious.
Everton's +3.7 xG difference is better than Manchester United's +3.2 through six games. Both have played a similar strength of schedule. Even with the Red Devils' superior talent, it's not a gulf so wide to justify -210 odds given the form.
However, those injuries make me skittish. It's not necessarily about doubts in the attack offense. The Toffees' worst attacking effort — and lone failure to score — under the transition-oriented Benitez came in Richarlison's first absence against Aston Villa.
Everton have had considerably more ideas going forward in the two games since. I'm not sold defensively, though, especially without a previous test against attacking talent of this caliber.
So while I think the lean is still in Everton's favor, I'm leveraging that — and the absences of Maguire and Shaw — into both teams scoring goals in this match.
Manchester United have yet to keep a clean sheet at home and Everton have let in five goals in three away trips. A price of almost even money is too low.
Pick: Both Teams To Score — Yes (-105)