Jose Mourinho is heaping the pressure on himself this year. He believes that Manchester United is a team capable of winning the Premier League this season. If that turns out to be the case, there should be no doubt of three points against a team like West Ham that will likely be sitting in the middle of the table when push comes to shove. That said, many aren't nearly as optimistic as one of the most outspoken managers in the world.
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Opening Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester United -357
West Ham +900
Draw +400
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
Sure, the Red Devils have a tremendous home field advantage at Old Trafford. They also don't have a lot of hope offensively when push comes to shove. The addition of Romelu Lukaku is only going to help out, and the fact that he'll basically step into the role that Wayne Rooney had before he was transferred back to his boyhood team (and ironically, Lukaku's old team), Everton should make the transition relatively easy.
That said, that being the big summer signing really feels like it's creating a huge jump for the Devils. They're set at -357 on the moneyline and are favored by a goal and a half against a West Ham team that figures to be better than it was last year when it was threatened by relegation for most of the term.
Key Injuries
Last year was a tough one for Slaven Bilic on the injury front, and this year doesn't figure to be a heck of a lot easier. He's already playing without both Andy Carroll and Michail Antonio, both of whom are still dealing with injuries from last season.
Manchester United won't be at full strength until the turn of the calendar year in all likelihood. The team has lost Marcos Rojo to a knee injury and Luke Shaw to a foot injury. Ashley Young will be back within probably about six weeks, but his hamstring problem is one that could linger as well.
Recent Form
It's clear that West Ham has some problems at the back right now that need to be addressed. The team has played two duels in the preseason. A 3-3 draw against Altona 93 was probably a disaster, while a 3-0 loss to Manchester City could be a sign of real problems to come.
Manchester United was incredibly bright in the preseason, playing well in the International Cup of Champions. That said, when the stakes were upped a bit in the UEFA Super Cup against Real Madrid, the club was beaten 2-1 and was never really in the fixture.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
All the signs are there that the Red Devils are going to struggle offensively for a second straight term. For all of the sound and fury that came with the Lukaku signing, he just doesn’t seem like he fits with the one-man front idea that Mourinho is still trumpeting.
Manchester United is going to be what it is for as long as Mourinho is there. It won't be the sexiest team in the world, and it isn't going to blow a lot of teams out by three goals. But it'll win a lot of matches and play a lot of unders.
Will this be the day Lukaku gets his first memorable goal for his new team on the grandest stage? Perhaps. We wouldn't want to lay a goal and a half, though. Even with West Ham's shoddy defense, the under still feels like the right play to us.
Barclays Premier League Odds: Manchester United 1, West Ham 0
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