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The Red Devils welcome the Hammers to the Theatre of Dreams in Wednesday's match from the English Premier League. Manchester United enjoy home advantage and hope to make it count against an opponent struggling at the wrong end of the table. The Red Devils edged past Crystal Palace last time, and know back-to-back wins would shunt them up the pecking order.
There isn't too much to smile about at the London Stadium this winter. West Ham United enter December dangerously close to the relegation zone. The visitors started the week level on points with Leeds in 18th, meaning the pressure is already building on manager Nuno Espirito Santo. West Ham need points on the board, but will they get any at Old Trafford?
Flashscore has all the latest Premier League stats and trends. Visit the app or website, and you'll find the latest league table, fixtures, results, and predictions. Football betting writer Frank Monkhouse uses the Man Utd v West Ham head-to-head, recent form, injury news, and predicted line-ups to settle on his big-match selections. He has three interesting bets.
Man Utd v West Ham tips
Under five cards @ 2/5 (bet365)
Both score and Man Utd win @ 7/4 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Side with the home team
Manchester United enter a crucial December on solid foundations. The home team started the week seventh in the Premier League, with 21 points on the board. They show stats of six wins, three draws, and four defeats, scoring 21 goals, but conceding 20. United's scoring stats offer confidence, with only Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea netting more. They'll add to their tally here.
West Ham United travel from their base in Stratford, East London, with their EPL form showing three wins, two draws, and eight defeats. A total of 11 points means the Hammers are level with Leeds United in the relegation zone, with a point more than Burnley, who are second from bottom of the pile. Santo's team are winless in their last two, having lost at the weekend.
Our first pick at Old Trafford on Wednesday under the bright lights is for the locals to win and deliver an important three points. The final score and goal scorers aren't important here. As long as Man Utd out-score West Ham United, you'll beat the bookies. You can follow this bet as a single, but the odds attached mean it'll do a better job in your midweek football accumulators.
Tip: Man Utd win @ 2/5 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You need Man Utd to score a home win over West Ham to land this bet.
Bet on fewer than five cards
Having picked sides in the match-winner betting market, we stray into the specials for our second Man Utd v West Ham prediction. It's not often we'll bet on the cards markets available on the bet365 app, but there's reason to be confident ahead of Thursday's showdown. Here, we're relying on the referee to show fewer than five cards to both teams combined.
If following this approach, you're not interested in which team takes the points and which players celebrate goals. You focus only on the referee's performance. Will he be card-happy and brandish several yellow cards? The stats suggest otherwise, leaving us with a bet on fewer than five cards. The same wager landed when these teams last met, with only one booking recorded.
When searching the head-to-head stats on the Flashscore app, we see Cresswell was the only player to receive a booking when West Ham upset Man Utd here back in the spring. Soucek was booked in the game before that, when Man Utd battled to a 3-0 win over West Ham in February 2024. Only Magassa and Paqueta were booked when West Ham lost to Liverpool on Sunday.
Tip: Under five cards @ 2/5 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If Man Utd v West Ham finishes with fewer than five cards, your bet wins.
Bet at bigger odds
We've saved the best for last in our Manchester United v West Ham United preview and predictions, with our final pick carrying the most attractive price. We sign off with a bet on both teams to score in a Man Utd win. The final score isn't important here. As long as Man Utd finish as victors and West Ham get at least one goal, you'll swell your online betting balance.
A bet on both score and Man Utd win would've landed you a profit when the Red Devils beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon. Regular readers of my Premier League previews and predictions will remember we picked United to beat Palace, and they delivered thanks to a tight scoreline. The Eagles took the lead, but United battled back to nick the points.
Man Utd win and both teams to score was also a smart bet when Rubin Amorim's team beat Brighton 4-2 at this venue, and Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield recently. It's also worth knowing that West Ham lost 2-1 at Elland Road and 3-2 at Molineux earlier this term. West Ham scored two goals in each of their two games against Man Utd last season, giving us a strong bet.
Tip: Man Utd win and both score @ 7/4 (bet365)
Bet explanation: Man Utd must win on Thursday evening, but you also need West Ham to score.
Man Utd v West Ham odds
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.