Premier League: West Ham vs Manchester United betting preview

London Stadium will be the scene on Saturday, December 23rd when West Ham welcomes Manchester United to town for an important matchday 18 affair. The kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 AM ET. The Hammers are coming off a big 3-0 victory over Wolves last weekend while also winning in Europa just days prior. As for the Red Devils, they settled for a scoreless draw on matchday 17 against Liverpool, who dropped into second place as a result. Below, we’ll dive into the head-to-head history between the two clubs and discuss recent form.

Head-to-head history

Although just one point separates the Hammers and United in the table, the Red Devils have been the more dominant side in recent meetings, winning seven of the last nine across all competitions. However, West Ham did finally notch a Premier League victory against Manchester back in May, beating them 1-0 at the London Stadium.

West Ham has some momentum

It hasn’t exactly been a great campaign for David Moyes’ side, sitting in eighth place in the standings with an 8-3-6 record. Consistency is an issue. However, they’ve grabbed some big wins since the season began, grabbing the full points against the likes of Tottenham, Brighton, and Chelsea.

West Ham was humbled on matchday 16 by Fulham, suffering an ugly 5-0 defeat. However, the side has since responded with back-to-back wins over Freiburg and Wolves, respectively. In the process, the Hammers have scored five goals while not conceding once. 

It was the Mohamed Kudus show versus Wolverhampton, with the former Ajax man continuing to thrive with his new club. Kudus bagged a first-half brace before Jarrod Bowen sealed the deal with a third in the 74th minute. As things stand, West Ham is just two points off a European spot but seven behind a Champions League place. To be realistic though, the Hammers are aware that’s probably not going to be a reality. Getting far in the current Europa campaign and qualifying for the next is likely the goal. The Hammers are a slim +145 favorite on Saturday at 888sport.

Where is Manchester United going?

Lots of Red Devils fans have been asking this exact question in 2023-24. United honestly lacks any identity and the statistics show it. Their 9-1-7 record in the Premier League is far from elite and they’ve only scored 17 times in 18 games. There is not one player in this squad who is reliable in the final third. A major problem, to say the least. 

Manchester was also just knocked out of the Champions League, finishing at the bottom of their group. And considering Erik ten Hag’s group is seventh in the EPL table, it’s hard to believe they will win any silverware this term. On a more positive note, United managed to keep Liverpool’s electrifying attack at bay on Sunday, snatching a point at Anfield, which is never easy. That being said, United desperately needs a victory here, having lost two straight games to Bournemouth and Bayern. The Cherries defeat was extremely deflating too, ending 3-0.

United can at least go into Saturday’s fixture knowing there’s a track record of success against West Ham, but most of their recent wins over the Hammers were decided by a mere one goal. The margin for error will be small at the London Stadium. The Red Devils have plus odds at all soccer betting sites.