Man U Now +175 Odds for Top 4 EPL Finish After Manchester Derby Win

• As the EPL enters its final straight, the battle for the UEFA Champions League places is hotting up
• Manchester United are chasing down Chelsea for fourth spot after both teams registered massive wins at the weekend
• Odds and picks for the battle for the Champions League places are below

After Manchester United’s win in the Manchester Derby at the weekend, their hopes of a Champions League place for next season have been reinvigorated.

The title for this season is, of course. long gone – Liverpool are only two wins away – but in a season that had threatened to end in mid-table obscurity, a recent upturn in United’s form sees them well and truly in the race for fourth. They now have odds of +175 while Chelsea is -175, and so we’ll be looking to see if there’s value there, or elsewhere in the race.

EPL 2019/20 Top Four Odds

Odds taken on Mar 9.

City Nailed on for Second

Liverpool’s exceptional season – their EPL odds are now an unbelievable  -100000 to lift the trophy – realistically ended the race for the title before 2020 had even begun, and so all eyes since have been on the scrap for the three remaining UEFA Champions League places.

With ten games to go for Manchester City, they look nailed on for second place even though it’s been a disappointing EPL season for Pep Guardiola’s men. As well as having the second-most points in the bag, they are by some distance the second-best team in the division, even if they did succumb to their Manchester rivals at the weekend.

Foxes Struggling

For Leicester, what promised to be an outstanding season – their best since winning the title in 2015/16 – is threatening to fizzle out, and it’s worth noting at this stage that last season it took 71 points to get into the top four. The Foxes currently have 50 points, only five ahead of Man Utd who are in fifth.

So, while Liverpool’s massive points haul may dilute the number of points required to make the top four this season, Leicester need several more wins before they can start planning next season’s European tour. Their current run of no wins in fours doesn’t bode well in this regard and they need to get back on track sooner rather than later to get the necessary points. My gut tells me they may still struggle to get over the line and it’s certainly going to be much closer than manager Brendan Rodgers had envisioned at the start of 2020.

Frank’s Boys on the Up

Chelsea have proven something of an enigma this season and have made stop-start progress. Just when it seems as if Frank Lampard’s young team have found the consistency required to nail that Champions League place, they go and suffer an unlikely defeat to set the alarms bells ringing again. But, having said that, their 4-0 over Everton at the weekend was mightily impressive, as was their FA Cup round-of-16 win over Liverpool last week. More of the same, and a Champions League spot is theirs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbxVNjkAHvI

They will, however, have to fight off a challenge from Man Utd, one that is really starting to gather pace. The weekend win over Man City wasn’t pretty by any means – it involved a lot of dogged defending and battling – but under the most intense pressure possible, they saw the job through, showing qualities that have not always been apparent in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign. Also worth remembering is that they are currently without, arguably, their two biggest names: Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford. They look certain to push Chelsea and Leicester all the way.

For Leicester, what promised to be an outstanding season – their best since winning the title in 2015/16 – is threatening to fizzle out.

No North London UCL Soccer Next Season?

The north London giants, Arsenal and Tottenham are both still in with a shout, but neither have shown the consistency needed to make top four. Spurs, under Jose Mourinho, have struggled massively for goals while they have been without Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and their challenge appears to be fading. Arsenal, while in a slightly more positive place than their north London rivals, simply draw too many games. They have won just nine out of 28.

Finally, Wolves and Sheffield United have to be considered as part of the equation for fourth. Both have had outstanding seasons and will be battling for the Europa League place. Fourth may, in the final countdown, be just out of their grasp.

My pick: 3rd Chelsea, 4th Man Utd