Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United
English Premier League, KO: 17:30 Dec 26, 2024, Molineux
Vitor Pereira got his reign as Wolverhampton Wanderers boss off the perfect start on Sunday and will now be looking to follow it up with a Boxing Day KO of reeling Manchester United.
The Portuguese coach inherited a squad in disarray after a loss at home to Ipswich left Wolves stuck in the bottom three, with their odds on relegation getting shorter by the day.
But Pereira banished the gloom in style with a stunning 3-0 debut win at drop rivals Leicester City, busting the coupon of our man Sam after he had backed the Foxes to win.
It still wasn't enough to take Wolves out of the drop zone but they're now just two points behind Leicester and Pereira certainly believes a great escape is on.
It could be a good time to face Manchester United, with the Red Devils reeling from a 3-0 battering at home by Bournemouth. We flagged up the Cherries as 3/1 shots on Sunday but it was still a surprise to see them win quite so comfortably.
That demoralising defeat summed up how poor United remain at the back and it's something new manager Ruben Amorim needs to fix quickly to stop their season from descending into another farce.
How the bookies view it: Toiling United still odds-on favourites
I'm surprised to see Manchester United as BoyleSports 5/6 hot favourites for this one, given how poor they were at the weekend. Wolverhampton Wanderers are 14/5 for a second successive win and the draw pays 13/5.
Recent head to head: Hex appeal for Red Devils
Manchester United have dominated this fixture in recent years, winning seven of the last eight meetings. Armchair fans will be hoping for a repeat of last year's Molineux thriller, with the Red Devils winning 4-3.
Players to watch: Back on the Ras
I was surprised to see Joshua Zirkzee get the nod up front for United against Bournemouth as Ramsus Hojlund had been in good form, The Dane should return from the off here and is 11/8 with BoyleSports for anytime scorer.
Wolves are still sweating on a ban for star man Matheus Cunha after he got involved in an ugly spat with an Ipswich staff member. So I'm going to back Goncalo Guedes instead after he netted in the win over Leicester, with the forward a meaty 4/1 to grab another goal.
Probable line-ups
Rayan Ait-Nouri returns from a ban for Wolves but Mario Lemina is a doubt while Pablo Sarrabia, Yerson Mosquera, Sasa Kalajzdic, Boubacar Traore and Enso Gonzalez are set to miss out again.
Matthjis De Ligt is a doubt for Manchester United due to illness while fellow defenders Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw are still out along with midfielder Mason Mount.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa, Ait-Nouri, Bueno, T Gomes, Andre, J Gomes, R Gomes, Semedo, Strand Larsen, Cunha, Guedes,
Manchester United: Onana, Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro, Martinez, Maguire, Dalot, Eriksen, Mainoo, Fernandes, Hojlund, Amad,
Anything else catch the eye?
With Manchester United so poor in defence, we should see plenty of action at both ends in this one. BoyleSports price BTTS at just 11/20 but if you combine that with no draw it boosts the odds to a tidy 13/10.
This should be a close game and I'd be surprised if either side won comfortably. The half-time draw looks a decent option at 6/5 with BoyleSports while McBookie price a one-goal winning margin for either team at 11/8.
With both sides desperate for the point this match has the potential to boil over and over 42.5 booking points looks worth a punt at 5/4 with McBookie.
This English Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United will be played on Dec 26, 2024 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
