While Stoke have had a couple of disappointing results the season has generally gone the way they probably expected it. Win against those they’re expected to beat, draw with those around them and lose against the better teams in the Premier League. Losing against Crystal Palace in game 5 would be one of those disappointments but picking up a point at Old Trafford soon after probably made up the difference.
Now Stoke are getting ready to welcome Manchester United to their home turf but this is a very different Manchester United side. After an extended run of good results United are in great form, haven’t lost in the league since their visit to Chelsea in October and have Zlatan Ibrahimovic who scored his 14th goal of the season against Liverpool at the weekend.
A trip to the Potteries is never easy but United do have the tools they need to come away with 3 points. Their goalkeeper is superb, their defense has improved throughout the season and although they are missing Eric Bailly they should be able to get through this one. Their midfield finally seems to have some kind of balance to it and Paul Pogba is playing well and looking like the kind of player everyone thought United were buying. There is pace in the side with Martial and Rashford, both of whom can also provide a goal threat for their team. Those elements give Manchester United a very good chance to win this one and the pace in United’s side could be crucial. Stokes back line isn’t the quickest and I suspect Martial is going to see a lot of the ball in this game.
At odds of 1.62 with Pinnacle, I think there is just enough value to bet on the away win, it’s tight though and if the odds drop then I’d avoid it. Regardless, I think there are better bets out there we can look at for this one.
The Both Teams To Score market is one I regularly check out and at 1.95 with William Hill and Bet365 for “Yes” I will be seriously considering having a taste of this one. The United defense is good but Stoke have a pretty good scoring record at home this season. If the odds can get back above evens then this is one I’ll be backing, one to track.
Another bet worth looking at and my bet for this game is Over 2.5 Goals. You can get that at odds of 1.97 with green listed bookmaker Pinnacle and that’s enough to get me on board. I think we’ll see both sides scoring and I think we’ll see a winner so this one works out nicely. Games like this will determine how high Manchester United can finish this season, win this one and they can really start to believe that they can get a Top 4 spot, fail and doubts might start to creep back in.
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