LOUIS Van Gaal’s side look to bounce back after two straight defeats. Does Chris Graham (@chrisgraham79) think they’ll do it?
Manchester United v West Brom | Saturday 17:30 | Sky Sports 1
The ideal place to start when previewing this game is Manchester United’s damaging 3-0 defeat at Goodison last Sunday. Not many people would have expected that result.
I’m more than happy to discount that performance though. One thing that hasn’t really been picked up in the media too much is the poor away form of United this season. Oddly, a complete reverse to last season. They actually lie eighth in the away table and have won just five of their 17 matches on the road this season.
At home though it’s an entirely different matter. They sit top of the home table with 43 points out of 51. 14 of their 17 matches have been victories and they’re a fairly short price (7/19 with 888 Sport) to make it 15 out of 18 on Saturday.
Playing at those odds against a Tony Pulis side never appeals to me though. There’s so much to admire about the way he’s kept West Brom free of any May sweat this season after the position they were in at Christmas.
Their 0-0 draw against Liverpool last week was creditable and with Chelsea and Arsenal still to come this season we’ll get a real feel in the next few weeks about how they cope against the very top sides.
Since their match at Hull on 6th December, West Brom have alternated between scoring and failing to score in each of their following nine road trips. If that pattern continues on Saturday they’ll fire another blank. That would hardly be a shock.
So with six blanks in their last 11 away games and their opponents keeping a clean sheet in five of their last 12 home league games, the Win To Nil bet grows in appeal. But at 5/4 I really can’t get involved.
Instead I’m going to have a go on the Total Goals market and back 3-4 Goals at a handsome 29/20 with Sportingbet. My thinking is that the home side will score two or three and the visitors may be able to nick one. The absence of Michael Carrick remains an issue for the Red Devils.
This bet has paid out in four of Manchester United’s last six games and in 14 of their 19 games at Old Trafford this season. A superb ratio for a bet at 29/20.
Best Bets
Manchester United v West Brom – Exactly 3-4 Goals (29/20 Sportingbet)
3/1 Man Utd to beat West Brom
Join Betfair and this weekend and you’ll get a massive 3/1 on United winning this match.
TOPICS English Football Tips Football Premier League Tips
