FRESH from winning the Carabao Cup, Manchester United return to action with a home match against West Ham United in the FA Cup on Wednesday night.
Erik ten Hag's team will return home riding the crest of a wave after scooping the first piece of silverware of the season on Sunday courtesy of a comfortable 2-0 win over Newcastle.
That League Cup triumph means the Red Devils have now racked up an impressive 14 wins across their last 18 matches in all competitions, losing just once in the process.
However, United must ensure they do not rest on their laurels this midweek when they come up against a West Ham side who strengthened their Premier League survival bid last time out.
The Hammers will come into this cup tie in better spirits, having moved out of the bottom three via a 4-0 thumping of Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Of course, preserving their top-flight status will be top of their priority list, but an FA Cup run wouldn’t go amiss for a club whose last success in a major tournament was in 1980, when they beat Arsenal 1-0 in the FA Cup final.
Outright Betting
Manchester United have already beaten West Ham at home this season and the same outcome here can be backed at a best 8/13 with Bet 365.
West Ham make the trip north as big underdogs at 9/2 (Bet 365) while the 90 minute draw has been chalked up at 14/5 (BetVictor).
Betting Angles
Manchester United are too short to side with at the above-mentioned price but we can get some 5/6 (Bet 365) on them to overcome a -0.75 hurdle on the Asian Handicap and that looks like a worthy boost in price.
This selection would deliver a full pay-out if the home team triumph by two goals or more, with a half-stakes winner banked if Man United secure a victory in normal time by a one-goal margin.
While there may be a party atmosphere at Old Trafford, you get the impression under Erik ten Hag's tutorship that United will be in no mood to hand the Hammers anything on a plate.
Granted, the United chief is expected to ring the changes here, however he has some serious firepower in reserve, all of whom will be keen to make the most of their opportunity to shine.
As for West Ham, the FA Cup is likely to be low on their list of priorities given their current Premier League predicament, not to mention their continental campaign kicks off again next week.
Therefore, manager David Moyes may decide to shuffle his pack for this midweek trip to the Theatre of Dreams as he will be conscious of the need to conserve energy for other challenges that lie in wait.
With that in mind, coupled with the rich vein of form that the Red Devils have hit of late, I'm happy to back the hosts with at 5/6 (Bet 365) with a -0.75 start on the Asian Handicap.
This bet would have yielded profit from a towering 16 of United's last 17 Old Trafford assignments, so siding with the same selection here at 5/6 (Bet 365) is a price that undoubtedly represents value.
This FA Cup match between Manchester United and West Ham United will be played on Mar 1, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Manchester United vs West Ham United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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