Manchester United takes on Brentford in an exciting Premier League clash on Monday.
Brentford have enjoyed their first season in the Premier League and an away trip to Old Trafford is one of those that fans would have pencilled in at the start of the season. They’re not mathematically safe from relegation yet, but they have hit the fabled 40-point benchmark which usually spells doom.
Will Brentford enjoy their first-ever Premier League trip to Old Trafford? Don’t miss our Manchester United vs. Brentford tips and predictions to find out.
Manchester United vs Brentford match odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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Manchester United vs Brentford betting tips
Predictions made on 4/30/2022 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Manchester United vs Brentford game info
• Location: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
• Date: Monday, May 2, 2022
• Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
• TV: USA Network
Manchester United vs Brentford betting preview
Weather
There’ll be rain early in the day on Monday, a Bank Holiday in the UK, but that will have cleared up by kick-off at 8:00 p.m. local time, where it’ll be dry and the temperature will be around 60 degrees.
Injuries
Manchester United: Paul Pogba CM (Out), Luke Shaw LB (Out), Harry Maguire CB (Out), Jadon Sancho FWR (Out), Edinson Cavani STR (Out), Mason Greenwood STR (Out), Fred CM (Questionable), Aaron Wan-Bissaka RB (Questionable).
Brentford: Zanka CB (Out), Frank Onyeka CM (Out), Sergi Canos RM (Out), Kristoffer Ajer CB (Questionable), Christian Norgaard CM (Questionable), Ethan Pinnock CB (Questionable).
Manchester United vs Brentford predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Side analysis
Manchester United welcomes Brentford to Old Trafford for the only Premier League game on Monday in what is a complicated game to predict for many reasons. Both clubs technically have plenty to play for with Brentford still capable of being relegated and Man U still capable of finishing fourth and earning a Champions League spot for next season.
In theory, those things are true but in reality, they’re both very unlikely. That fourth spot in the Premier League will be decided by Arsenal and Spurs, with United too far behind to really have much say. Brentford can still mathematically be relegated but unless Everton and Burnley, in addition to the teams between them and Brentford, turn into peak-Brazil then it’s not going to happen.
It's been a magical season for Brentford, their first in the Premier League, and we knew it was going to be special after that opening day victory over Arsenal in which they truly sparkled. Since then, there have been ups and downs, and Thomas Frank’s team looked to have been found out and were struggling for results, until the signing of Christian Eriksen.
The Dane has been magnificent and rolled the clock back to his best, an incredible feat given the near-tragedy that surrounded him at Euro 2020. A visit to Old Trafford is one that every fan circles on their calendar when the schedule is released and it’s something that many of these fans will have been dreaming about since they won promotion to the Premier League last year.
Manchester United’s fans won’t be looking forward to it quite as much. It’s been a hugely disappointing season that initially promised so much with the signings of Raphael Varane, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Jadon Sancho. This is United’s final game of the season at Old Trafford, with their final two games on the road and as such, it’ll be the last time a number of these players get to play at the stadium before they leave, including Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, and potentially some more, with Erik ten Hag set to rebuild the squad this summer.
Matic is almost certain to start in Ralf Rangnick’s midfield alongside Scott McTominay with Fred and Paul Pogba missing. We’ll almost certainly see Juan Mata feature at some point as he gets to say goodbye to the Stretford End. Mata’s time at United feels like a let-down after the brilliance we saw at Chelsea but he’s an incredible professional and one of the nice guys in the game, and he’ll be hoping that like Brentford’s Eriksen, a move to a smaller club could now give him the chance to shine and show his talents again in the twilight years of his career.
Elsewhere, we’ll see Varane continue to partner with Victor Lindelof with Harry Maguire injured. Ronaldo will be up top with Fernandes behind and two of United’s many wide forwards either side.
Frank is missing a number of players but as long as Ivan Toney is up front and Christian Eriksen is in the midfield, they’ll have a chance of scoring. Christian Norgaard is an unsung hero for Brentford and he’ll anchor the midfield and try to break up United’s play.
Despite a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Thursday, it’s clear that the majority of Manchester United’s players have checked out for the season. They’re already on the beach mentally, whereas Brentford have still managed to maintain some focus, winning three of their past four games.
The bookies make Manchester United strong favorites but it’s not a smart place to put your money, instead I’d recommend a small wager on the game to finish tied.
Prediction: Draw (+310 at FanDuel)
Over/Under analysis
I see this being a bit of an underwhelming game and finishing as a 0-0, or more likely a 1-1. With that in mind, I’d back Under 2.5 goals here at odds of +120. Man Utd have generally been in low-scoring games when at Old Trafford, with just two of their past nine games going Over this total.
Brentford’s past three games have seen them hit the three-goal mark just once and they seem to have found some defensive form, conceding just two goals all month despite facing West Ham, Spurs, Chelsea, and Watford.
I’d take a low wager on Under 2.5 goals, it’s a tasty price at +120 and this is probably a lot closer to the 50/50 than the odds suggest.
Prediction: Under 2.5 (+120 at bet365)
Best bet
Earlier in this piece, I wrote that “the majority of Manchester United’s players have checked out for the season” the reason I said majority and not all is because of Cristiano Ronaldo. While others have gone missing, the Portuguese icon has stood tall, scoring five goals in his past three games. Incredibly, he’s the only Manchester United player to score in those games.
For all of the talk and discussion about Ronaldo, one thing that is never in doubt is his commitment, drive, and thirst for goals. In what’s been a bad season by his standards, he’s still scored 23 goals in 35 appearances for the club. That's a great ratio and one which makes the -105 odds that he’ll score Monday really leap out.
Another thing we know about Ronaldo is that he’s the man for the big stage and despite having one year left on his contract, there is a real chance this is his final appearance at Old Trafford and it wouldn’t shock me to see him leave this summer. If that’s the case, then you know Ronaldo only has one way to say goodbye.
Pick: Cristiano Ronaldo to score (-105 at DraftKings)
