The best of Match Day 21 was clearly saved for last. There are clearly six teams fighting for one championship and four spots in the Champions League this year, and two of the six are going to be on display in the last match of the weekend when Liverpool and Manchester United renew their heated rivalry.
This EPL duel will go down Sunday, January 15, 2016, at 11 a.m. ET at Old Trafford. The match will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester United +116
Liverpool +250
Draw +240
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
Literally the only thing separating these two teams at this point is a matter of home pitch advantage. The Red Devils have it, and as a result, they're +116 choices to take the full share of the spoils and make the gap between second and sixth all the closer as we head towards the run-in of the campaign.
The total in this match is somewhat drab as well at a flat 2.5, a tiny bit lower than what we are used to seeing in England nowadays.
Key Injuries
Manchester United won't have Eric Bailly in this match because he is serving his country in the African Cup of nations. The word sounds good about Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he sat out of the EFL Cup match against Hull City in the middle of the week as a matter of mere caution with an illness.
Liverpool won't have Cameron Brannagan, Marko Grujic or Danny Ings due to injuries in this one, while Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip are both 50/50 propositions. The African Cup of Nations has also claimed one of the Reds' best stars in Sadio Mane, a big time loss, particularly if Henderson is also absent from the lineup.
Recent Form
Generally by the time a team reaches a semifinal of a tournament, it's going to go all out to win it, and that's what Liverpool did against Southampton in the EFL Cup on Tuesday. Instead, the team was beaten 1-0 in a match Jurgen Klopp called "the worst of the season." Fortunately, the Reds have another shot against the Saints back at Anfield to try to overturn that score line. The results of late though, have been troublesome. This defeat came on the heels of a scoreless and lifeless draw in the FA Cup against Plymouth at home and a 2-2 draw at Sunderland in the team's last EPL match.
Man U meanwhile, has been clinical. The team almost certainly put Hull City away on Tuesday in the EFL Cup, as a 2-0 victory will be virtually impossible for the Tigers to overturn. That's now nine straight wins for the Red Devils across all competitions, and they've allowed a total of just three goals in that span. They haven't conceded a goal in three straight matches.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Manchester United is going to be a trendy choice here with the form it's in, but we really wonder if there isn't a bit of a shocker in the cards. Sure, Liverpool is outgunned if it isn't healthy, but Klopp is one of the top managers in the world for a reason.
Jose Mourinho, to his credit, is a great tactical boss as well, and that really shows in the way that United's defense has played of late. But scoring goals in this one is going to be tough. It's only perhaps going to take one moment of brilliance for the Reds to stick their noses in front in this one, and though goals have been hard to come by of late, this might be just the wakeup call needed to get Daniel Sturridge and the rest back in good form.
EPL Odds: Liverpool 1, Manchester United 0
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