Man United look for back to back wins in the Premier League when they travel to the London Stadium to take on West Ham.
It's been a difficult season for the Hammers, who are sitting in 15th place in the table with some downright terrible defensive numbers. West Ham spent big money in the summer to try and improve their squad, but they are experiencing the same issues they had last season even with a new manager. They did upset Manchester United at home last year, which will give them confidence that they can do the same on Sunday.
Just when you think United have things on the right track they come back down to earth. On Thursday they went ahead against Fenerbahce they went ahead early and then proceeded to allow chance after chance. That is nothing new under Erik Ten Hag, who is very still much on the hot seat, so Manchester United need three points for him to remain at his post.
Let's dive into my West Ham vs. Man United prediction.
West Ham vs. Man United Odds, Picks, Prediction
| West Ham Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+0.5 -160 | 2.5 -200o / +145u | +185 |
| Man United Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-0.5 +135 | 2.5 -200o / +145u | +135 |
- West Ham vs. Man United moneyline odds: West Ham +185, Man United +135, Draw +270
- West Ham vs. Man United over/under: 2.5 goals (over -200, under +145)
- West Ham vs. Man United pick: Over 3
I am backing the over in Man United vs. West Ham.
West Ham Preview
The problem that West Ham are running into at the moment is they are trying to go from being a team that primarily played in a low block and looked to break in transition to a team that now plays a high defensive block and builds out of the back. They have very talented players that are great on ball, but making that type of a drastic switch in tactics typically takes some time before it starts to work.
There is also the glaring hole in the middle of the pitch that West Ham need to address. Two years ago Declan Rice was their only ball stopper in the midfield and ever since he left, their defense has completely crated into being one of the worst in the Premier League. They didn't do anything significant in the transfer window to fix that issue and now are relying on Tomáš Souček and Guido Rodriguez.
Mohammed Kudus is going to miss this match after picking up a red card against Tottenham, which is a blow to West Ham's offense, but not as big of a blow as most people think. In the summer, West Ham brought in Crysencio Summerville from Leeds. He was one of the best wingers in the Championship last year, scoring 19 goals and dishing out nine assists.
Man United Preview
For a while in the first half against Brentford last Saturday Manchester United reverted back to their old ways. Last year when they were unable to control matches due to a number of injuries, Ten Hag decided to get into back and forth transitional matches with anybody, which meant the matches were incredibly high event. Who is to say that doesn't happen again here?
Manchester United’s press has improved from last season, but there are still some issues. It's not as connected as it should be, as often times it seems players are unclear of certain pressing triggers, which often leaves on guy defending two players, which makes it a lot easier for teams to build up against Manchester United's press. They are having their back line come up to aid in the press, which is a step in the right direction, but it’s often a man to man press, which does leave them in 1 v 1s across their back line. West Ham have a lot of great attackers that can win in those 1 v 1 situations, so don't be surprised to see United give up chances with a lot of direct balls over the top.
United are also still dealing with quite a few injuries. Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire are out. That leaves United with a lack of depth in key positions, especially defending in through the middle, where West Ham can hurt you.
West Ham vs. Man United Prediction
We are eventually going to see a lot more goals in Manchester United matches. They have only scored seven Premier League goals this season, but the Red Devils have created 12.3 expected goals. At the other end of the pitch, they have have allowed nine goals off of 12.2 expected, so I would expect regression to happen and more high scoring matches are in the future for Manchester United.
West Ham continue to struggle defensively and it doesn't look like it's getting better anytime soon. They have played three Big Six clubs already this season and have shipped 10 goals in those three matches. In addition to that, Liverpool put five past them in the EFL Cup, so why can't Manchester United do something similar with all of the positive regression they are due for offensively.
For all of their defensive short comings, West Ham definitely have the attackers that can give any team problems, especially if this match becomes very back and forth.
I have 3.59 goals projected for this match, so I like the value on the over.
West Ham vs. Man United Pick: Over 3 (-110 via bet365)
How to Watch Premier League: Time, Channel, Streaming
| Location: | London Stadium, London, England |
| Date: | Sunday, October 27 |
| Kickoff Time: | 10 a.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | Peacock |
