Match Betting (1x2)
On Saturday 4 January, Manchester United make the relatively short trip to the west Midlands for their FA Cup third round encounter, although this competition is clearly not a priority for the Red Devils this season.
While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would love to win a trophy during his first full season in charge at Old Trafford, the fact that United currently sit outside the top four places in the Premier League is clearly a great cause for concern.
Similarly, the Europa League is a competition where United can qualify for the Champions League, while the team are still in the EFL Cup and have an upcoming double header against Manchester City in the semi-final stage.
With all these things having to be considered, we are not sure if the 7/5 about United winning this clash is a value bet. The Red Devils were unable to win this Premier League fixture with a first-team squad and may struggle should key players be rested.
Wolverhampton Wanderers might give one or two first-teamers the evening off although they are one of the few teams in the division who are immune from relegation and also unlikely to make the European places.
While their Europa League campaign could yield some glory, this is an opportunity to enjoy a big run and they did overcome Liverpool in the FA Cup recently.
Wolves look a decent shout at 11/8 to claim a victory in front of a partisan home crowd, while neither side will want to see the game drawn although we can see 12/5 about this ending all square and a replay.
Asian Handicap
Team news is going to play a key part for this clash and it’s worth waiting to see how many changes each respective manager makes before deciding which way to bet.
Manchester United fielding an experimental line-up could essentially mean they are prepared to throw some young players to the lions and there could be value in backing the home team off an Asian Handicap mark of -1 or even -1.5.
Alternatively, this could be a competition where the Red Devils are going for a big run and that could mean getting with the visitors off zero on the Asian Handicap which means money back should the game end all square.
Both Teams to Score
We think these type of FA Cup encounters are generally entertaining considering that neither side will want a draw and will therefore play enterprising football.
Punters can get 8/11 about both teams scoring in this clash, while you can get 11/10 about the “No” option on the BTTS market.