Manchester United v Wolves betting preview: FA Cup predictions, best bets and stats for Wednesday's all-Premier League clash
It is an all-Premier League clash as Manchester United meet Wolves in the FA Cup third-round replay. George Pitts looks at the betting.
Recommended bets
1pt Wolves draw no bet at 23/10
1pt Ruben Neves to score from outside the penalty area at 14/1
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Man United v Wolves
- 1945 kick-off on BT Sport 1
Two top teams who should have lofty ambitions of lifting the trophy in May - and maybe the stalemate in the first tie showed that they were taking few risks in the event of leaving themselves open.
Man United may have picked up their form with seven wins from their last 12, but that is still not that impressive for a club of this stature.
They seem to have tightened up at Old Trafford, but last week Man City showed in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg that they are not unbeatable there and, with all Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's injury problems, the visitors can travel there with confidence.
Ashley Young and Paul Pogba are among those out for their third game in eight days and the XI fielded by the Red Devils will be more than beatable. Especially when they face a Wolves side for the fourth time in 10 months.
"We've played them so many times now," Solskjaer said this week.
"So we're going to be facing a team that know more or less everything about us, and we know more or less everything about them. We've got them in a couple of weeks again in the league."
Nuno Espirito Santo's side have won two and drawn two of those meetings and they should be able to field a strong side in the hope of reaching round four, where Watford or Tranmere await.
With Man United's inconsistency, Wolves' record against top-six clubs and the team selections in mind, the 3/1 price on the visitors to win is incredibly tempting.
More so is the 23/10 best price on them in the draw no bet market, in the event this one goes to extra-time. Wolves have shown from the Europa League games that they can deal with the schedule of midweek games now and, even in their current 'blip', they have only lost two of their last six. And this is a club that has beat reigning Premier League champions Man City home and away this term.
With Santo's record against top teams and this Wolves' side's potential, it would be no surprise to see them come up trumps against this United side again and this price is well worth taking, with the insurance of getting your stake back in the event of a draw in 90 minutes.
Newcastle did well to hold them to a draw on Saturday. It was not necessarily their best game but Wanderers do not give up and keep trying to break teams down. While Adama Traore was kept quiet, Raul Jimenez and Ruben Neves both had three shots each.
The latter scored against the Red Devils at Molineux earlier this season - a superb curling strike from 20 yards (see below), a perfect example of the holding midfielder's eye for goal. He has had an incredible 38 shots from outside the box this season, just one in the penalty area, and he regularly tries his luck. He is not afraid of doing so against the big teams and, having been linked with United on a number of occasions, even recently, he may want to do the business here. At 14/1, it could well be worth a small play.
Best bets
Opta stats
- Manchester United are without a win in five games against Wolves in all competitions (D3 L2) since a 5-0 victory in the Premier League in March 2012.
- Wolves are without a win in their last 10 competitive away visits to face Man Utd at Old Trafford (D2 L8) since a 1-0 win in February 1980.
- Manchester United have been taken to an FA Cup third round replay for the first time since 2012-13, when they eliminated West Ham at Old Trafford.
- Wolves have lost nine of their 10 previous FA Cup away third round replays, winning the other versus Oldham in 2007.
- Wolves’ Diogo Jota has found the back of the net in two of his last three appearances against Man Utd, although both goals came at Molineux.
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Odds correct as of 2100 GMT on 14/01/20
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