THE match of the weekend? No doubt about it. Chris Graham (@chrisgraham79) previews the Man Utd v Tottenham game.
Man Utd v Tottenham | Sunday 16:00 | Sky Sports 1
It's been a rough ol' season for Manchester United, but one gleaming spark within it has been their excellent home form. That spark was dulled on Monday night when they lost to Arsenal at Old Trafford in the FA Cup Quarter-Finals and I'm curious to see how they react to that.
Make no mistake, that defeat was a bitter blow for the club. The FA Cup offered a path to a trophy and some much-needed glory for Louis Van Gaal. But now it's gone.
Tottenham had a chance of a trophy as well. That was two weeks ago when they played in the final of the Capital One Cup. They lost, but the way they've recovered from that defeat is something Manchester United need to learn from on Sunday.
Spurs were knocked out the Europa League and Capital One Cup in the space of three days but since then they've won both their league games. A 3-2 win at Swansea was followed up three days later by a fairly routine 2-1 win over QPR.
I'm not suggesting that these opposing sides are the cream of English football, but I am saying it's takes real mental strength and dedication to come back from those defeats so quickly.
A win here for Mauricio Pochettino's side would put them level on points with Manchester United and that is a huge incentive for the club. It's also worth stating that despite being Manchester United's plaything for most of my life, Spurs are now unbeaten in five against them.
Having said all that I can't back them at 100/30 to win at Old Trafford. For all United's faults, they've been solid at home this season. 11 wins out of 14 in the league at Old Trafford were the reason why Monday's result shocked me so much.
On the flip side, backing them at odds on holds no appeal against this feisty Spurs side. In the Win-Draw-Win market, it's the draw that stands out massively for me. Odds of 29/10 for two sides fairly well matched looks on the large side.
To supplement the draw bet I'll back Over 3.5 Goals at 2/1 with Betfair. The last nine Spurs Premier League games have gone Over 2.5 while eight of Man Utd's last 10 home games have seen them score two or more.
And for my final trick, a wee tickle on 2-2 at 15/1 with BetVictor.
Best Bets
Man Utd v Tottenham – Draw (29/10 BetBright)
Man Utd v Tottenham – Over 3.5 Goals (2/1 Betfair)
Man Utd v Tottenham – 2-2 Draw (15/1 BetVictor)
4/1 Man Utd or 10/1 Spurs
Betfair are giving new customers the opportunity to back either side at enhanced odds in this match.
