Manchester United vs. Chelsea English Premier League Prediction

In soccer, the biggest rivalries in the game tend to be those that feature teams from the same city. With that being said, rivalries develop when you have a pair of highly successful teams going head to head, too, as both want to prove that they are the superior club, which often means doing whatever it takes to get the win. Since Roman Abramovic took over as the owner of Chelsea, his team has turned into one of the elite teams in Europe, and they came into this season as the English Premier League Betting favorites to win the title. As good as they have been in recent years, they still have a long way to go to match the amount of silverware that Manchester United have won in their illustrious history. No matter what the EPL Odds say, neither of these two teams is going to win the Premier League this season, as Manchester City are uncatchable now, but both are still trying to secure a top 4 spot that would grant them passage into next season’s Champions League. It’s all to play for in this one, so expect to see some fireworks.

Manchester United vs. Chelsea English Premier League Betting Prediction

Jose on Romelu Lukaku: “21 goals is not bad at all and I don’t analyse the players’ performances the same way you [journalists] do. I have other points of analysis and I’m happy with Romelu’s performances, even when he doesn’t score goals.” #MUFC pic.twitter.com/MFlgpGsr5A

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) 23 de febrero de 2018

• When: Sunday, February 25 at 9:05 AM EST
• Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
• TV: NBCSN
• Radio: TuneIn
• Live Stream: NBC Sports Live
• English Premier League Betting Odds: Manchester United +120 (Total at 2.5 goals)

Recent Head to Head (Last 5 Games)

• Chelsea 1 – Manchester United 0
• Manchester United 2 – Chelsea 0
• Chelsea 1 – Manchester United 0
• Chelsea 4 – Manchester United 0
• Manchester United 1 – Chelsea 1

Why bet on Manchester United?

For all the offensive firepower than Manchester United have at their disposal, it has been the defense that has been their best friend this season. You cannot talk about that defense without mentioning David DeGea. The Spanish goalkeeper has been at the top of his game this season and is the reason why United came away from Sevilla with a 0-0 draw in Champions League action in midweek. He has also helped his tea achieve the best defensive record in the league this season, giving up just 19 goals in 27 games. While that number is impressive, it pales in comparison to the 5 goals in 13 games that United have given up at home. They are incredibly tough to break down in their own backyard, which is why the task ahead of Chelsea on Sunday is so huge. Goals tend to be at a premium when these two hooks up, with United losing 1-0 in the earlier meeting at Stamford Bridge.

Team Statistics

• Games Played: 27
• Won: 17
• Draw: 5
• Lost: 5
• Scored Goals: 51
• Conceded Goals: 19

Why bet on Chelsea?

Chelsea doesn’t really need any type of encouragement to perform well against one of their biggest rivals, but they will be well aware that a win here would put them level on points with second place United. The race at this point is for second in the league, as well as for Champions League spots, so getting that win would give the Blues a nice boost in both. Chelsea has had a tendency to play things close to the vest when they go on the road, going 7-3-3 in their 13 trips, scoring 13 and giving up 12. They will be looking for a bounce-back game here after their 1-1 tie with Barcelona in Champions League play, a game that they arguably deserved a better result from. Willian has been the man making things tick for Chelsea in recent weeks, so look for a big performance from him.

Team Statistics

• Games Played: 27
• Won: 16
• Draw: 5
• Lost: 6
• Scored Goals: 49
• Conceded Goals: 23

Possible Line-Ups

Manchester United:

• 1-D. de Gea
• 25-A. Valencia
• 12-C. Smalling
• 4-P. Jones
• 18-A. Young
• 31-N. Matić
• 6-P. Pogba
• 14-J. Lingard
• 7-A. Sánchez
• 9-R. Lukaku
• 11-A. Martial

Chelsea:

• 13-T. Courtois
• 28-C. Azpilicueta
• 12-C. Smalling
• 21-D. Zappacosta
• 24-G. Cahill
• 4-C. Fàbregas
• 15-V. Moses
• 10-E. Hazard
• 11-Pedro
• 7-N. Kanté
• 9-Á. Morata

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Given how things have played out in the past between these two, the UNDER would appear to be the bet here. I think United can win this one at home by a single goal. Score: Manchester United 1 – Chelsea 0