Had you told Middlesbrough fans that their squad would be going into the new year on the right side of the relegation zone, that probably would have been perceived as a victory. Sure, Boro isn't safe from the immediate drop back to Championship yet, but things are looking good at the moment with four points of safety between them and said drop. But this New Year's Eve fixture and Manchester United isn't really one of those that looks like it can help the situation any.
This EPL duel will go down Saturday, December 31, 2016, at 10 a.m. ET at Old Trafford. The match will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester United -351
Middlesbrough +1104
Draw +446
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
If you want to really ring in the new year with a bang, you could try your luck on cashing a bet on Middlesbrough on the moneyline at over 11 to 1. But then again, you should probably remember that Boro has just one win in nine away fixtures this season.
That said, the Red Devils are clearly the stronger bet for the purposes of the moneyline at a price of -351. They're favored by a goal and a half on the Asian Handicap, though they're far from a lock to finish the job and take these three seemingly easy points thanks to a rather suspect 4-4-1 home record thus far in Jose Mourinho's first campaign at Old Trafford.
Key Injuries
United lost Wayne Rooney to an undisclosed injury in training just before the match against Sunderland. He was forced out of the lineup, and Mourinho was rather cryptic on his status for this match. Fortunately, the argument could be made that Man U looks a better side without one of its most iconic players. Luke Shaw is the only other regular absentee from the Red Devils' Starting XI.
Boro isn't in bad shape right now either on the injury front. Viktor Fischer picked up a knee injury that is going to keep him out for at least a couple of weeks, while Antonio Barragan has been suspended for this match for yellow-card accumulation. Again, all things considered, for a team that is perilously thin in terms of top flight players, Middlesbrough is doing just fine for New Year's Eve.
Recent Form
Middlesbrough will have to feel like it could have done better on Boxing Day than it ended up against Burnley. The trip to Turf Moor ended without a point, but the 1-0 result could have easily turned the other way. That's now three losses in four matches for Middlesbrough, and the big concern is that the team has been blanked in all three of those losses.
United had a nice run of play on Boxing Day, running out to an emphatic 3-1 victory over Sunderland in a match that truly wasn't as close as that final score would suggest. That's five wins in a row across all competitions for the Red Devils, and they haven't been beaten since November 3 in the Europa League and October 23 domestically.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
It's really hard to go against Manchester United right now, but we think that Middlesbrough can make a match out of this. Boro wasn't intimidated going against Leicester City on the road ( 2-2 draw ), Chelsea at home ( 1-0 loss ) or Manchester City on the road ( 1-1 draw ), and a similar result could be had here as well, particularly if United is looking forward to a big road test at West Ham in just three days. These holiday fixtures often produce odd results, and could a draw be the next in this match? We aren't counting out the possibility. Take the goal and a half.
EPL Odds: Manchester United 0, Middlesbrough 0
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