Manchester United’s players have what they wanted -- a manager who is not named Jose Mourinho -- and that could lead to offering the betting value typically associated with a top club.
Now under the interim command of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United is a -170 away favorite at +525 underdog Cardiff City on the Premier League odds for Saturday, with the draw offering +320 on the three-way moneyline and a 2.5-goals total at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Sixth-place Manchester United, which sacked Mourinho on Tuesday, will probably try to assert itself with a more attacking style spearheaded by the likes of midfielder Paul Pogba, winger Anthony Martial and forward Marcus Rashford as it tries to get back in contact with the top four who are in position to qualify for the 2019-20 Champions League.
The payouts on Man United move into plus money at sports betting sites for a shutout win (+170), while the correct score group props contain value for Manchester United win 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2 (+400) as well as a 3-0 result (+900). In terms of attaching a betting interest to a narrative, Pogba (+600 first scorer, +200 anytime) offers more upside in individual scorer props now that he’s free from Mourinho than Rashford (+500, +150) does in the forward rankings.
Cardiff City has had one-goal victories in three consecutive home matches, albeit against stragglers Brighton and Southampton and newly promoted Wolverhampton, and is also contending with several injuries.
Elsewhere, Arsenal (-400), on a two-game skid in all competitions, hosts Burnley (+1300, draw +525) with little incentive beyond locking in three points. The host Gunners have a plethora of injuries and Burnley is likely to play with a single forward, so Arsenal win/No (-120) in the Both Teams To Score (BTTS) props and the UNDER (+110) on the 3.0-goals total might be safe plays.
Manchester City (-750) takes on Crystal Palace (+2000, draw +850) with playmaking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne expected to return, and stands a good chance of pouring it on offensively against a team it has scored at least four goals against in each of the last four matchups (all competitions). Man City is even-money on the 1.5-goals line.
West Ham United (+135), which has won four games on the bounce, hosts Watford (+210, draw +250) which won only two of its last 20 away games in league play. West Ham’s last four games have gone OVER 2.5 goals and Watford has conceded at least two goals in five consecutive games, which makes the higher-risk, higher-reward plays such as West Ham win/Yes (+350) in BTTS props and OVER 2.5 (+335) in West Ham’s total rather enticing.
West Ham is creating chances through its midfield, so Felipe Anderson (+800 first scorer, +250 anytime) has good value this week.
Huddersfield Town (+210) is the home underdog against Southampton (+155, draw +210), largely since it has won only one of its last six home matches in the league. The visiting Saints (-265 on the double chance) have some semblance of momentum after upsetting Arsenal on Dec. 16, and should generate some chances for Danny Ings (+350 first scorer, +138 anytime). There have been UNDER 2.5 goals scored in seven of Huddersfield’s last eight home games.
And Everton (+225) hosts Tottenham (+130, draw +240) in the lone Sunday matchup, with the Spurs owning an 11-game undefeated streak in this matchup in all competitions. Harry Kane (+300 first scorer, -120 anytime) is an especially good play in individual scorer props after being held out of a midweek Carabao Cup match.
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