Manchester United vs. Brighton odds, pick

The first international break of the 2023-24 Premier League season is over, the Champions League kicks off next week and the transfer window has shut.

We’re in the thick of it now.

And one team that will be under quite a bit of pressure right out of the international break is Manchester United.

Manchester United vs. Brighton pick

(10 a.m. ET., Sat.)

After finishing in third-place last season there were plenty of people who were backing Manchester United to take another step forward in 2023-24.

The squad was settled, manager Erik ten Hag seemed to be a good fit at Old Trafford and there were a lot of questions about other top clubs like Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham. 

A sluggish start for United has derailed the hype train.

The Red Devils won their first match of the season, 1-0, as a big favorite over Wolverhampton and if you ask anybody involved in that match they will tell you that United was second-best that night.

The expected goals back up that notion.

Manchester United’s only other win this season came against another relegation-favorite, Nottingham Forest, and the Red Devils had to come back from a 2-0 deficit in that match.

Losses to Arsenal and Tottenham also posed some questions about how good this United team is at the current moment.

A match with Brighton, one of the best teams in the league, right out of the international break and just a few days before a match with Bayern Munich in the Champions League is not a great get-right spot for a team trying to get on stable footing.

Brighton ranks first in shots per 90 minutes, second in non-penalty expected goals created and second in big scoring chances generated.

It’s early yet, but the Seagulls look like they’ll be an offensive force in 2023-24.

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That isn’t good news for ten Hag’s Red Devils as they’ve really struggled defensively through four matches.

Manchester United ranks 15th in preventing shots, 14th in non-penalty expected goals conceded and 15th in big scoring chances allowed.

Brighton should have its way with this leaky defense and have plenty of value as an underdog on Saturday. 

The bet: Brighton +205 (FanDuel)