Manchester United vs Liverpool Prediction, Odds & Picks

• Manchester United are on the verge of securing a second-place finish
• Liverpool have endured a difficult 2021 and could miss the top four
• The Reds are better away from home and that could prove pivotal

Manchester United vs Liverpool Odds

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Manchester United vs Liverpool Predictions and Picks

They have had longer to prepare for this match than their rivals and are in more urgent need of all three points.

Pick:

Liverpool to Win (+150)

How to Watch Manchester United vs Liverpool

Manchester City will be crowned Premier League champions this weekend if they beat Crystal Palace and Manchester United lose to Liverpool. Given that the Reds won the title last term, a victory at Old Trafford could see Jurgen Klopp’s side in effect dethrone themselves.

United’s title chances are over, regardless of how results go this weekend. They also look pretty secure in the second spot, whereas Liverpool have plenty to play for in the final weeks of the campaign. They are narrow favorites to emerge triumphant in Sunday’s big clash – take up odds of +150 on an away win with DraftKings Sportsbook.

Manchester United Have Shown Signs of Progress This Term

The reaction to Manchester United’s performance in their 0-0 draw with Liverpool in January was split. That scoreless stalemate at Anfield kept the Red Devils at the summit of the standings, with Liverpool three points behind their arch-rivals. Some focused on the positives of United’s display, which featured plenty of character and resolve. Others saw it as a missed opportunity, accusing United of missing an opportunity to inflict further damage on a below-par Liverpool team.

It is true that a run of results around that time saw United throw away their title chances. A draw with Liverpool is one thing, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side also dropped points against Sheffield United, Arsenal, Everton, West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea. By that point, a sensational run from Manchester City had lifted Pep Guardiola’s men to the summit of the standings, where they have remained ever since. In hindsight, nothing could have stopped City’s charge towards the title.

United have made clear progress this season. They were disappointed in the first half of the last term, before rallying from January onwards to secure a third-place finish. United only made sure of Champions League soccer on the final day of the campaign, though, and they are in a much more comfortable position at the business end of 2020/21. Three wins from their last five games would probably be enough for only a second runners-up finish since Alex Ferguson’s retirement eight years ago.

Whether United will be in a position to launch a sustained title tilt next season is a question for another day, but a 13-game unbeaten run in the Premier League shows that Solskjaer’s side have become tougher to beat, as does the fact they have not lost a single away game this season.

Liverpool Might Need a Perfect Run to Finish In the Top Four

Liverpool have no such luxury of having Champions League soccer already wrapped up. In fact, the Reds are up against it in their bid to qualify for a competition they won in 2019. A four-point deficit to fourth-placed Chelsea may be too wide to overturn at this stage of the campaign, particularly given that Thomas Tuchel has still only lost one Premier League encounter since replacing Frank Lampard in the Stamford Bridge hot seat in January.

Klopp and his players will not give up yet, though, and victory here would at the very least keep the pressure on Chelsea. Liverpool have drawn each of their last two games 1-1, but they are now undefeated in five after a miserable spell in February and March. Moreover, while the Reds’ recent record at Anfield is dismal, they have won five of their last seven away matches in the Premier League.

The competitive nature of England’s top flight was one of the motivations behind these two clubs ill-advisedly signing up for the Super League, a project that was dead in the water within 48 hours of its announcement. Liverpool are learning this season that Champions League soccer is never guaranteed, but qualification will taste all the sweeter if they overturn the current four-point deficit and finish in the top four.

Manchester United’s Old Trafford Record Is Patchy

Only Manchester City have collected more points on the road than Manchester United this season. Solskjaer’s side are on the verge of becoming only the third team in Premier League history to go through an entire campaign unbeaten away from home, after Arsenal in 2001/02 and 2003/04.

The story is a little different at Old Trafford. United may have the third-best home record in the division, but they have still lost four times on their own patch. That is largely because their team is set up to play on the counter-attack, and opportunities to break into space tend to be reduced when a side is playing at their home ground. United have conceded 21 goals at Old Trafford this season, which is more than Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium and Burnley at Turf Moor.

Liverpool could also benefit from the additional rest they have had. United have played twice since the Reds were last in action, facing Leeds in the Premier League last Sunday and then Roma in the semi-finals of the Europa League on Thursday.

Liverpool have looked fatigued – both mentally and physically – at times in recent months, but they should be fresher than United for this one. They also need the points more than the Red Devils, as Klopp’s side look to keep their Champions League hopes alive.