MANCHESTER UNITED begin their defence of the Carabao Cup when they take on Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
The Red Devils ended their six-year-long drought for a trophy in manager Erik ten Hag's maiden season in charge with a 2-0 win over Newcastle at Wembley earlier this year.
It would be fair to say there have been a few bumps along the road since then for United, however they will be feeling better about themselves following Saturday's ship-steadying 1-0 win at Burnley.
Erik ten Hag will be hoping that Turf Moor triumph will act as a springboard for further success when Crystal Palace come to town this midweek.
The Eagles have enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, though they will have been disappointed not to have come out on top when playing out a forgetful 0-0 draw with Fulham on Saturday.
Roy Hodgson's side roared back from two goals down to win 4-2 at Plymouth in the previous round to set up Tuesday night's trip to Old Trafford.
Outright Betting
Manchester United, who came out on top when the pair last faced off in February, are odds-on 3/5 (Bet 365) favourites.
Crystal Palace have emerged victorious on two of their last four trips to this venue but the same outcome here is as big as 5/1 (Boylesports) while the 90 minute draw has been chalked up at 10/3 (Bet 365).
Betting Angles
Manchester United are if anything a tad too short for my liking here, however merging a home win and under 4.5 goals will present us with an 88/100 (William Hill) shot and that looks like an enticing boost in price.
Whilst the Red Devils have been far from convincing this season, they do boast a strong home record under Erik ten Hag, suffering just two domestic defeats in front of their own supporters since the Dutchman took charge in the summer of 2022.
Granted, United lost their most recent Premier League home game against Brighton, but they look worth backing to get back on track at home at Crystal Palace this midweek, and throwing in under five match goals into the mix will give the odds a handy boost.
This bet paid out in each of United's four Carabao Cup home games last season en-route to lifting the trophy, not to mention the same wager has proved profitable in 15 of their 17 top-flight triumphs under ten Hag's tutorship.
While the Eagles are always a tough nut to crack under Roy Hodgson, they have won just four of their 14 Premier League away matches this calendar year, picking up just two clean sheets across that stretch in the process.
With all that in mind, siding with the home team and current EFL Cup holders to secure a solid if unspectacular win against the Eagles on Tuesday night seems like a sensible solution at 88/100 (William Hill).
Team news permitting, I'll also have small play on Crystal Palace's Nathaniel Clyne to pick up a card at 5/1 with William Hill.
Clyne's only start this season came in the previous round against Plymouth so there could be some ring rust on show from the Palace right-back when potentially pitting his wits against United livewire Alejandro Garnacho.
This EFL Cup match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace will be played on Sep 26, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Manchester United vs Crystal Palace prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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