There are no surprises on the odds board in Tuesday’s English Premier League matchup. Manchester United comes in as the soccer betting favorite at -135 against visiting Brighton. However, the Red Devils drew in their last three games, including getting eliminated from the FA Cup.
On the other hand, Brighton hasn’t lost in its last seven English Premier League games. That includes drawing twice against Chelsea. Plus, the Seagulls have won more games on the road than at home.
Manchester United vs Brighton English Premier League Fixture 18
What’s Going On?
In its last two games, Manchester United managed to score first. Nevertheless, the defense has failed to maintain the advantage. It seems like Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire need more time to adapt and meet expectations.
On top of that, Cristiano Ronaldo has been struggling. The Portuguese superstar has gone six straight games without scoring. He hasn’t had such a bad streak since the 2008-09 season. The good news is that Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford have stepped forward.
The Red Devils are sitting in fifth place, only one point behind West Ham United. They need to finish in the top four to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. And no, the league title is no longer a possibility.
Despite only scoring one goal in the last EPL fixture against Southampton, United’s offense produced eight shots on target. Plus, they won possession with 53 percent. It seems like all they need is better luck.
Playing at Old Trafford does increase their betting online value, but it’s not a guarantee. They scored in four of their last five games, but also have lost two more games at home than on the road.
There are no major injuries to report. Manchester United’s predicted lineup: David de Gea, Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Alex Telles; Scott McTominay, Fred; Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandes; Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford.
Tempting Underdog
I can’t think of a better way to describe Brighton,specially because the Seagulls are offering a +350 price in the sportsbook.
They haven’t lost in their last seven games. Only Manchester City can say the same. Most recently, they defeated Watford 2-0 with goals from Neal Maupay and Adam Webster. United’s defense must watch out for Maupay, Brightons top scorer with eight goals.
“The head coach and the staff believe in me and that gives me some much confidence. We will go there with the mentality to get something. Of course, they have good players but why can’t we get a good result?” said the French striker to the press.
The Seagulls have had very good performances against the teams sitting in the top four. Recently, they managed to draw against Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham. They only failed to win some points against the Citizens but that was expected.
We’re talking about a team that has been more productive when playing away from home. Brighton has only lost one game on the road (4-7-1) while its home record is 3-5-3.
No major injuries to report here either. Brighton’s predicted lineup: Robert Sanchez; Joel Veltman, Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster; Adam Lallana, Tariq Lamptey, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Grob, Jakub Moder; Danny Welbeck, Neal Maupay.
Manchester United vs Brighton Head to Head
- Previous Matches: 26
- Manchester United Victories: 18 (47 goals)
- Brighton Victories: 3 (18 goals)
- Draws: 5
Last season, Manchester United and Brighton met three times. The Red Devils won all three, but the Seagulls put up a good fight in their two EPL meetings. The first leg ended 3-2 as Bruno Fernandes scored the winning goal from the penalty spot with no time left on the clock. The second one finished 2-1 after United turned things around in the second half.
The Seagulls only beat Manchester United in two of their last eight encounters. Both victories were at Amex Stadium. In fact, Brighton will be looking to win at Old Trafford for the first time.
Manchester United vs Brighton Game Information
- Date: Tuesday
- Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Old Trafford, Manchester
- Manchester United vs Brighton Live Stream: fuboTV
Manchester United vs Brighton Betting Lines
Manchester United vs Brighton Prediction
Manchester United simply can’t afford to lose. The Red Devils are sitting in fifth place. However, after this match, they’ll have three more games than Arsenal and Tottenham. They need to go all in to remain in the race.
I have no doubt that Brighton will complicate things, but Ronaldo is angry and we all know what that means. That’s why my football prediction is a close victory for the Red Devils with the total going over.
Score Prediction: Manchester United 2, Brighton 1
