Luton Town - Manchester United predictions and free betting tips [18/02/2024]

Today as part of the 25th round of the Premier League, Luton Town will host Manchester United. Last week, the “Hatters” unexpectedly stumbled in a home encounter against Sheffield United (1-3), whereas The "Red Devils" accelerated and dealt with Aston Villa (1-2) efficiently.

Predicted Lineups

Luton Town: Kaminski; Bell, Osho, Mengi; Ogbeche, Barkley, Lokonga, Dowty; Townsend, Morris; Adebayo.
Manchester United: Onana; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; Matic, Casemiro; Garner, Fernandes, Rashford; Højlund.

Luton Town

Since returning to the top league last summer, Luton Town currently holds the 17th place in the Premier League and has distanced itself by one point from the relegation zone, having one spare match. The team's winter signee has pleased its fans with several successes, earning crucial points in the fight for survival. However, after three rounds without a loss (2 wins and 1 draw), Rob Edwards's team disappointed last weekend. Despite fan support, the "Hatters" lost 1:3 to Sheffield United: Cameron Archer, James McAtee, and Vinicius Souza upset Thomas Kaminski while Carlton Morris only managed to "sweeten the deal" with a penalty goal. Meanwhile, in the FA Cup, Luton got past Everton (1:2) and reached the tournament's round of 1/8. 

A surprising fact: only Tottenham has managed to score against a bigger number of opponents during the current PL season than the hosts. The coaching staff still can't count on Andersen (defender) and Nakamba (midfielder), who haven't fully recovered from their physical ailments. Additionally, Captain Lockyer has been out of action since suffering a heart attack last December. Japanese Defender Hishioka, who joined the club this winter from Sint-Truiden, might debut for his new team this Sunday. Adebayo (9 goals) and Morris (6 goals and 4 assists) should occupy their spots in the attack, while Tahith Chong fights Andros Townsend for the right to play on the wing. In transfer news, lateral Giles (Hull City) was loaned out in January, with no other significant squad changes.

Manchester United

Falling short of fan expectations, Manchester United holds the 6th place in the Premier League. The gap from the "big four" is 6 points, but a Champions League ticket is still within reach. “The Red Devils” have been undefeated since their 2:1 loss to Nottingham Forest in late December. After this setback, the Mancunians divided the points with Tottenham (2:2), subsequently beating Wolverhampton (3:4), West Ham (3:0), and Aston Villa last weekend (1:2) respectively. Rasmus Højlund opened the score in the first half, but Douglas Luiz quickly replaced the balance on the score; however, the Brazilian's celebration was premature, as Scott McTominay's accurate shot brought the visitors all three points at Villa Park. In fact, the "Reds" scored at least two goals in each of their six most recent matches since the beginning of the year.

Proteges of Erik ten Hag made it to the 1/8 finals of the FA Cup after a tight match against Newport from League 2 (the 4th strongest division), ending with a score of 2:4. The squad for the weekend will miss the injured Malašia and Martial, defenders Lisandro Martínez and Wan-Bissaka, as well as midfielder Mount. We are most certainly going to see the Danish forward Højlund (5 goals) up front, recently very effective on the edge of the attack (4 goals and 2 assists in the last 4 rounds). He should be supported by Bruno Fernandes (3 goals and 5 assists), Garner (5 goals and 2 assists), and Rashford (5 goals and 2 assists). During the winter transfer window, Van De Beek (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), as well as midfielder Mejbri (Sevilla) and wingers Pellistri (Granada) and Carreras (Benfica), were loaned out.

Head-to-Head

Manchester United is heading south undefeated in 12 matches against Luton, including a 0:3 win in the League Cup at Kenilworth Road in the 2020-21 season.

Match prediction for Luton Town - Manchester United

In 2024, Manchester United has picked up momentum and stands a good chance to close the gap from the Champions League zone at the end of the 25th round. Armed with a formidable forward line and with Højlund finally finding himself in the new club, "The Red Devils" look promising. Luton has already surpassed expectations in January, so there is a valid reasoning to bet on an away victory for the favourites.