Football betting tips: Premier League
2pts Rodrigo Bentancur to commit 2+ fouls at 17/10 (Coral, Ladbrokes)
1pt Bentancur to commit 3+ fouls at 11/2 (Coral, Ladbrokes)
No pause in domestic action is complete without a club teetering towards calamity and a manager on the edge of getting the chop.
Michael Carrick is the current market leader in the Premier League sack race at a general 5/2, followed by Roberto De Zerbi at 9/4.
I get the latter, Tottenham are bottom of the league, without a win (D2 L3) and didn’t score a goal until their fifth and final game before the break. Even then they were already 3-0 down to Aston Villa when they netted two very late consolations.
The worrying thing for Spurs is they’ve spent big in the summer and so far this term, it doesn’t look like they have improved at all from the last two seasons' 17th-placed finishes.
This weekend, the visitors can be backed at a general price of 7/2 to win at Old Trafford.
The hosts Manchester United are 3/4 and since Carrick took charge they’ve gone off odds-on seven times at Old Trafford in the Premier League and won six.
The Red Devils haven’t won any of their last three matches, losing to the 10 men of Manchester City, squandering a two-goal advantage against Brighton in the Carabao Cup and then picking up a fortunate point at Fulham.
So the 1x2 is probably best avoided here, besides there’s value elsewhere with a favourable referee appointment and some compelling foul stats.
Stuart Atwell has the whistle, he’s dished out 18 cards in three top-flight appearances this term (most in the league) and averaged 4.72 cards a game last season (most in league).
Interestingly, United’s midfield duo of Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans have drawn a lot of fouls and cards.
They have won a combined 13 fouls with four of the 10 opposition central midfielders committing two fouls or more. Matt Crooks, Sasa Lukic, Harrison Armstrong and Enzo Fernandez were all carded too.
The issue is what Spurs midfielder to back? James Maddison could even start here, Lucas Bergvall has fallen out of favour but there’s still Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, RODRIGO BENTANCUR, Conor Gallagher and Archie Gray used to be a central midfielder.
It’ll certainly be worth checking team news on Saturday evening.
Tonali has played the most minutes of those players but has barely committed a foul this season and Fernandes could play in the 10 which leaves Bentancur.
He’s featured in all five games, starting four, and averaged 1.8 fouls, committing 2+ on three occasions.
At 17/10 and 11/2 with Coral and Ladbrokes respectively, I’d back him TO COMMIT 2+ FOULS and 3+ FOULS here but would take the prices available with bet365.
Odds correct at 13:05 BST (09/10/26)
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