Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United Prediction: Premier League Odds

Jeremy Perry
July 15, 2020

Crystal Palace will visit Manchester United this Thursday in an interesting matchup. Crystal Palace is stuck in a mid-table battle, safe from relegation but with no chance at European football while Man U is fighting for a place in the top five and Champions League. Let’s take a closer look at this showdown where Man United is heavily favored at -322 on the soccer odds board.

Crystal Palace Odds and News

The Eagles find themselves in a mid-table battle, which mostly has no consequence. It is virtually impossible for them to finish in the top half of the table but an 11th-place finish isn’t out of the question. They could still finish above some big names such as Newcastle, Southampton, and Everton, though, and overall, this season has not disappointed despite their good form pre-lockdown.

Speaking of form, the Eagles are not finding it easy of late. Since a convincing 2-0 victory over Bournemouth in their first game back, they have lost five straight. They will hope to stop this from becoming six but with United’s recent form, it may be difficult to keep them out. Palace will be without Christian Benteke, who has recently re-found some goal scoring form as well, which simply adds to the degree of difficulty here.

Manchester United Odds and News

It’s imperative that the Red Devils rediscover their winning ways against Palace as they are fighting for a spot in the Champions League next season. United drew with Southampton recently, with an agonizing last-minute equalizer denying them all three points, but that has not halted their unbeaten streak. They are unbeaten in 18 games since a 6-0 thrashing of Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup. They have now maintained a streak of positive results, not losing a match since January. And with the fight for Champions League qualification heating up, the Red Devils cannot afford to drop points again. They are currently tied with Leicester City on 59 points but technically trailing due to goal difference. Chelsea is ahead by four, although they have played one more game. It is a tight fight for two places and one team will miss out.

Manchester United -322
Draw +399
Crystal Palace +800

While United’s attack is injury-free, despite having started many consecutive games in quick succession, their defense is another story. Both Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe are long-term absences with both ruled out for the rest of the season. Brandon Williams and Luke Shaw, both of the Red Devils’ left backs, could potentially miss out. Having come on for an injured Shaw, Williams was subsequently brought off due to a facial injury and this may pose a crisis to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he goes to pick his side to face Crystal Palace.

This game holds significantly more importance to Manchester United. The prospect of Champions League football is a big one and while Palace will try their best to win, it just seems like too high of a mountain for the Eagles to climb.