Sunderland v Manchester United Betting Odds and Prediction 13th May 2012

United title defence on the line in tough away fixture

Man United 19th Premier League Winner
Man United 19th Premier League Winner - © GEPA pictures

Manchester United, well they are renowned for dramatic late goals, and therefore Paddy Power’s Money Back Special for the final day of the EPL season may just be worth looking at for your betting. This is because, if there is a goal scored in the last five minutes of this match, then Paddy Power will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Score-cast bets placed on the match. This Money Back Special provides a tremendous amount of great coverage for this match, and better still, the same promotion applies to all Premier League matches on Sunday. Online Bookmaker Paddy Power offers a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account with them. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £50.

Sunderland v Manchester United Betting Odds at Bet365
Manchester United 4/9, Draw 10/3, Sunderland 13/2

Sunderland are in the position to ruin Manchester United’s defence of their title. The Black Cats are lined up for a mid table finish and nothing more, but they will still want to end the season with a bang in front of their home support. Those moments of tremendous excitement have been few and far between lately, with Sunderland having won just one of their last eight matches in the Premier League. However, with that being said, they have drawn five of that eight, so are still proving to be a stubborn side. That is what they are at the moment, and nothing more, and will be down to Martin O’Neill to try and bolster his forward options during the summer, because the base of a decent side is there. It has been the away form of the Black Cats which has stalled them so much, because at home, they are a tough nut to crack. O’Neill’s men have only lost one of their last eleven on home soil, but again, the last three at the Stadium of light have all ended in draws. Troubling for Martin O’Neill is that they have failed to score in four of their last six league outings as well, so there is a big need for some fire-power up front. The Sunderland defence doesn’t give too much away, and with the likes of John O’Shea and Wes Brown back there, those former United players could have a big part in United’s title fortunes on Sunday.

Manchester United know that their destiny is out of their hands. They blew the privilege of having that, thanks to their recent form. United have won two of the last five league matches, and that is where their league title defence has slipped away from them. After suffering defeats against Wigan and Manchester City, plus a draw against Everton when the Red Devils were two goals to the good at Old Trafford, looks set to leave the Old Trafford crew empty handed for this season. However, while there are still matches to be played and jobs to do, there is still a glimmer of a chance. Sir Alex Ferguson needs to see his men better what Man City can produce at home against QPR. So they need the R’s to do them a big favour on Sunday, while producing a result themselves, which is not looking easy. Manchester United’s last match was a 2-0 home win over Swansea City, but it was a very lack-lustre affair, and the body language of most of the United players signalled that they knew the title had gone. If United had thumped the Swans, it would have cut into Man City’s superior goal difference, but once again, Manchester United were flat.

An away fixture at the Stadium of Light is not a great fixture for the Red Devils and their title ambitions on its own. Manchester United only beat them earlier in the season at Old Trafford courtesy of Wes Brown own goal. But this is United and they have rattled off a fantastic away record for the season. They hold a W12 D3 L3 record on the road this season, and that is a 67% success rate, which is very solid. However, their away form has deserted them at the worst moment, because they have lost their last two straight, without getting on the score-sheet at that. Being that they are Manchester United, they will probably muster up something right at the death in order to do whatever it is that they can to push it to the wire. But they are simply not in control any more. Untied average two goals per game on the road this season, and their defence has still kept their stats at under a goal per game on the road. So very good all round, but is the confidence there? They must know that City failing to beat QPR is unlikely. So it is a matter of going out with a bit of pride, and just as side note, they have won 5-0 away from home three times this season. The goal difference behind City stands at 8.

Prediction: The Red Devils shouldn’t need motivating, but this is not an easy game. They will need to raise their game from what it has been lately, that is for sure, because this is the kind of match which could quickly develop into a stalemate. A Sunderland +1 Asian Handicap for 13/10 at Bet Victor is a tempting proposition in seeing them at least hold out for a draw.