At this point, Sunderland has to be conceded to life next season in Championship. The Black Cats only have 20 points in their first 30 matches, and unless they go on a run for the ages over these last eight affairs where they pick up at least six wins, the second division will be their home next year. Alas, things don't seem great for Manchester United either in spite of the fact that the Red Devils are sporting the longest streak without a loss in the EPL at 20 matches heading into the weekend.
This BPL duel will go down Sunday, April 9, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. ET at the Stadium of Light. The match will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Sunderland +925
Manchester United -283
Draw +400
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
The Red Devils are almost a little curiously set at -1.5 on the Asian Handicap and -283 on the moneyline in spite of the fact that they are only sixth best in the league at this point and feel a long ways away from Champions League soccer in 2017-18. That said, this is so much more about what Sunderland isn't doing at 5-5-20, though it should be noted that the team has three wins and seven results in a total of 15 matches here at the Stadium of Light this year. It's not an entirely lost cause.
What is a lost cause is the Sunderland offense. This team has just 14 goals at home and 24 in totality in league play this year, and that's why this total is set at just a flat 2.5.
Key Injuries
Wayne Rooney wasn't on the injury list for the Everton match midweek, but he did sit out with what was later classified as an ankle problem. Ashley Young left that fixture as well with a knock after being on the pitch for an hour, and we have a tough time believing that he's going to be available in this one. Toss in the injuries to Chris Smalling, Juan Mata and Phil Jones, and it's clear that the Red Devils are limping to the finish line of this year.
Adnan Januzaj has played well here at Sunderland since his loan from Old Trafford, but he's ineligible for this match. Jan Kirchoff, Patrick McNair and Steven Pienaar are all out of the fold, while John O'Shea is a question mark after his father passed away earlier this week.
Recent Form
It's hard to believe that this Sunderland team scored four times against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on February 4. It's also hard to believe that it hasn't scored a goal since that point. The stretch of matches for David Moyes' club now hits six straight without a goal, and the team has just one point in that go, a draw against Burnley, the only team in the top flight without an away victory this season.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has rescued the Red Devils time and time again this year, and he did so against Everton in a 1-1 draw at home on Tuesday night. Manchester United though, hasn't been good at all in the EPL in spite of those 20 matches with a result in a row. Jose Mourinho's team also only has one win in the EPL since February 11, and the team is working on what would be its worst home record in almost a half a century at just 6-9-1 this season.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Sunderland has seemingly no desire at this point, and even lowly United should be able to come on the road and escape with a victory.
That said, we wouldn't be caught dead laying the goal and a half. That's a big, big number against any top flight team, and you know that Moyes is going to make sure he has something special in store for Manchester United in this one. There's obviously a lot of confidence in him to ultimately bring Sunderland back stronger after a season next year in Championship, and though we don't think the Black Cats will get a result from this one, they'll at least put up a decent fight.
BPL Odds: Manchester United 2, Sunderland 1
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