Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton prediction: Premier League odds, picks

The expectations are always high for Manchester United, but things will be ramped up a notch for a pivotal 2023-24 campaign. 

It’s been more than a decade since the Red Devils won the Premier League, and for the first time in that span it feels like there’s some stability and a clear direction at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag guided United to a third-place finish and won the EFL Cup in his first season in charge, but now comes the hard part.

Manchester United, like everyone else in the world, will be trying to catch up to Manchester City and put a stop to Pep Guardiola’s dynasty. 

Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton prediction

(3 p.m. ET., USA Network)

Wolverhampton is in a different, much more perilous predicament.

After struggling through the first half of last season, the Wolves hired former Spain and Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui to get the club back on solid footing.

The Spaniard accomplished that goal by guiding Wolves to a 13th-place finish after they were dead last going into the World Cup break. 

But instead of investing in the squad, Wolverhampton has had a peculiar summer in which it lost key players and never replaced them.

The lack of activity in the transfer market frustrated Lopetegui, who departed the club just days before the season opener. 

Having the manager who just stabilized your club leave because of mismanagement is not a good thing in the big picture, but in the short term I don’t think it’s a terrible situation.

Lopetegui wanted his team to play a more intricate, ball-on-the-floor style of soccer, and with the exodus of talent that would have likely led to uninspiring results.

His replacement, Gary O’Neil, will keep things a lot simpler and look to raise his team’s floor by getting them organized defensively. 

That strategy worked just fine for O’Neil last season when he took over relegation favorites Bournemouth at the end of August and led them to a 15th-place finish, keeping them in the Premier League without much stress down the stretch. 

There are still many more questions than answers at Wolverhampton in the big picture, but the team’s profile certainly changes with O’Neil in charge.

Wolverhampton lacks scoring punch and creative talent, but that won’t be as big an issue when its being set up to defend and hit back on the counterattack or on a set piece.

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It may not be the most entertaining brand of soccer, but it gives Wolverhampton a better chance of pulling results against more talented teams.

Wolverhampton can’t expect to outplay Manchester United, but it at least has a chance at outlasting the Red Devils, who often struggled to break down teams who sat deep in two low blocks last season. 

Backing a team that is in turmoil is never fun, but oftentimes the betting market overreacts in these kinds of situations.

The price on Wolverhampton — +875 at BetMGM — should only go up before kickoff, so wait out the market and take a shot on an unfancied underdog to stun the soccer world at Old Trafford on Monday.`