Football betting tips: Super Sunday
1.5pts Bruno Fernandes 1+ assists at 2/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes)
0.5pt Issa Diop to score anytime at 28/1 (BetVictor)
0.5pt Dara O'Shea to score anytime at 20/1 (BetVictor)
0.5pt Jacob Greaves to score anytime at 20/1 (bet365)
Social media and WhatsApp groups were awash with memes and GIFs shared by gleeful rival fans of Manchester United and Tottenham last weekend as their balloons were unceremoniously popped within one half of their bright new Premier League seasons getting under way.
Both were completely bullied by teams more willing to bring intensity to the game, more willing to fight for the ball, more willing to do the basics.
Spurs responded to their thrashing at Brentford by winning 5-1 against Charlton in the Carabao Cup and we should expect United’s own chastening by Hull to trigger a similar performance.
It's not quite as simple as that for Michael Carrick though.
While it is to his credit that United have not lost back-to-back games since he took over in January, responding with wins over Aston Villa and Chelsea on the two previous occasions, all three defeats have now come without Kobbie Mainoo.
The first came against 10-man Newcastle when Mainoo's second-half substitution saw United lose control and ultimately the match. He was not in the XI for the other two losses and it exposed a weakness Hull took full advantage of.
Without him the entire United team lacks intensity, and the midfield looks desperately slow.
Whether Mainoo is fit enough to contribute any more than the 23 minutes he managed last weekend following a disrupted summer is unclear but United do now also have the option of new £70m signing Carlos Baleba to add much-needed legs.
Carrick should be able to find a solution, helped by a home record of eight wins from nine, during which time they have scored in every match, at least twice in every win and on three occasions in half those victories.
BRUNO FERNANDES has been as equally potent at Old Trafford, providing 12 ASSISTS in his last 12 appearances there, making the 2/1 price for him to do so against Ipswich look large.
It's a safer bet than backing a United goalscorer as there is some guesswork about who will be in the forward line.
Bryan Mbeumo looks the most likely and is worth considering at 13/8 after he somehow failed to score last weekend.
He got on the end of chances equating to 0.51 xG, missing a great opportunity (0.36 xG) when put through in the 78th minute to continue the strong form he ended last season in.
Another weakness on display against the Tigers was United’s struggle to defend set-pieces.
Some of this was down to them fielding a very small starting XI, and a questionable centre-back pairing of Ayden Heaven and Harry Maguire. It will be interesting over the coming weeks to see just how badly the Red Devils are affected by the departure of Casemiro in this area of the pitch too, a player known for his aerial presence.
There is a possibility of changes in central defence to become more solid but given just how wide open they were from dead-balls against Hull, conceding twice, backing some Ipswich defenders at big prices feels worth a shot.
The Tractor Boys dramatically beat Sunderland 2-1 on opening weekend thanks to a stoppage-time Jack Clarke goal and their tactics, despite being at home, were very clear throughout.
Gary O'Neil set the team up with three centre-backs in a back four - DARA O'SHEA, ISSA DIOP and JACOB GREAVES - and they were happy to cede possession, rapidly counter attacking when they could.
That same tactic will be in use on Sunday and given the two issues that plagued United a week ago, Ipswich should get plenty of chances to quickly break up the pitch and win corners.
DIOP dramatically scored for Morocco at the World Cup, equalising in stoppage time against the Netherlands in the round of 32, and found the net on the final day for Fulham last term. At 28/1 TO SCORE ANYTIME he is priced far too generously.
O’SHEA, meanwhile, had a point-blank header saved in the midweek Carabao Cup win over Leicester.
Both he and GREAVES are both 20s and also taken to small stakes.
Odds correct at 08:15 BST (28/8/26)
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