This EPL duel will go down Friday, August 19, 2016, at 3 p.m. ET at Old Trafford. The match will be televised live on USA.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester United -227
Southampton +650
Draw +325
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
History is definitely favorable here for United. The Red Devils have always had one of the best home field advantage in the Premier League, and this matchup against a generally poor road team should end in three points.
Man U is laying a full goal on the Asian Handicap and is -227 on the moneyline. That's certainly one of those dangerous prices we see all the time on these big teams in the EPL and other big leagues, though. It's a big enough number to feel quite confident in the victory, but remember that basically two out of three times, the away team is going to pull off what would be classified as a stunner and get at least a point.
The total is set at a flat 2.5.
Key Injuries
Mou's side has made it through the first match of the season relatively unscathed. Jesse Lingard is the only major injury concern, as he picked up a foot injury against Leicester City in the Community Shield match and missed the opener against Bournemouth. He's questionable for this game but hopes to be back on the pitch.
Soton, which started the year with a bummer of a draw against Watford, is playing without Florin Gardos and Ryan Bertrand at the moment, though Bertrand could be back sooner rather than later from his knee injury he sustained at the beginning of play this season in a friendly against Espanyol.
Recent Form
The preseason went really well for Manchester United, and winning the Community Shield was perhaps a sign of things to come this year at Old Trafford. The team was never challenged against Bournemouth in the opening match of the season on the road with a 3-1 victory, and it was an impressive debut for sure for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. This is the first time the Old Trafford crowd will get to see him in a competitive match, so this could end up being a big time match for him for sure.
Southampton's start to the season was really a tale of two halves. The first at home against Watford was a dud for sure, as the Saints were down 1-0 at the intermission and certainly deserved to be in that spot. Nathan Redmond equalized in the second half in a match which ended with both teams getting a share of the spoils, though after playing the last 15 minutes against a 10-man side, new boss Claude Puel certainly would have hoped for a better result than what he got.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
An interesting match this is. Soton is one of these unheralded teams in the Premier League which is probably going to finish in the top half of the table in spite of the fact that it will be completely off of the radar all season long.
The Saints didn't show themselves well in their first 45 minutes of their campaign against a team which could be fighting relegation this season, but they really came back strong in the second half and probably deserved a better fate than their end result.
There is a ton of pressure on United here. Can the Red Devils overcome it all and pick up a victory? If they do, we think they aren't going to do so by more than a goal, so the Asian Handicap is the right choice here. We'll take the goal and hope that the Saints can find one moment of brilliance to pick up a point in a pivotal early-season match.
EPL Odds: Manchester United 1, Southampton 1
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
