Check out the clash of the titans when Manchester United go head up with Wigan Athletic this week in the English Premier League.
Manchester United Preview
Robin van Persie's move from Arsenal to Manchester United is already paying dividends for the Red Devils.
RVP's first goal in United red was a thing of beauty, a piercing strike on the half-volley near the edge of the penalty area that saw Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer still starting his lunge as the ball starched the net. That is what world-class strikers in football are capable of, and it is perhaps van Persie's greatest gift: picking corners off half-volleys and other awkwardly placed passes.
In short, he finishes.
The addition of van Persie to the already powerful United side was analyzed by some as money spent in the wrong place. United already has a special striker in Wayne Rooney through whom most of their offense flows.
Meanwhile, United lost its first game of the season primarily because a spate of injuries forced Sir Alex Ferguson to entrust midfielder Michael Carrick with the chore of marking Everton’s Marouane Fellaini on a set piece, with disastrous results.
Wigan Athletic Preview
Wigan Athletic killed this contest off in the first half. Three of their four goals came (4-1 over Nottingham) then and though Nottingham Forest scored immediately after the break and had a man advantage for the closing 22 minutes following Antolín Alcaraz's red card, the evening ended in the "honourable defeat" file for Sean O'Driscoll's men.
These sides had made a steady start to their respective seasons. Wigan recovered from being shredded by an Eden Hazard-inspired Chelsea 3-0 in their opening Premier League fixture by defeating Southampton 2-0 at the weekend.
O'Driscoll's tenure as the latest Forest manager with hopes of returning the club to the top-flight began with an unbeaten run – two draws and a win in the Championship, to compliment a victory over Fleetwood Town in this competition's previous round.
On Friday at Bolton Wanderers there were encouraging passages of play from Forest that suggested O'Driscoll's message was beginning to be heard by his new squad.
In the first half here, though, a step was taken backwards. Forest's midfield allowed Roberto Martínez's side to surge too easily at and through them. They walked off 3-0 down due to goals from Mauro Boselli, Maynor Figueroa and Jordi Gómez.
The opener came when Ronnie Stam swept in a cross from the right that Boselli, a £6.5m buy from Estudiantes two years ago, stooped to head home from close range.
This was only the Argentinian's second Wigan goal – the first came in October 2010 – and came delivered from a forward who earlier this year was voted Wigan's poorest ever foreign signing.
Manchester United vs Wigan Athletic Predictions: 3-0
Robin van Persie scored a hat-trick to give Manchester United a last-gasp 3-2 win over Southampton at St Mary's in what was Sir Alex Ferguson's 1000th league game as a manager. Van Persie also saw a penalty saved by Saints goalkeeper Kelvin Davis. Here is the scary thing about this game super striker Robin Van Persie can have the same type of game against Wigan Athletic. Let's face it Manchester United just has way to much firepower for a lot of teams in the Premier League.
Manchester United vs Wigan Athletic Betting Odds:
Manchester United 1.25 | Draw 4.8 | Wigan Athletic 11.5
Pick: Manchester United 0.36%
Manchester United vs Wigan Athletic Asian Handicap Betting Odds:
Manchester United -1.75 1.97 | Wigan Athletic 1.75 1.97
Pick: Manchester United 82.7%
Fair Odds Calculation:
1x2 % 76.8% - 17.6% - 5.5% 1.30 - 5.67 - 18.08
Moneyline 93.3% - 6.7% 1.07 - 14.89
Double Chance 1x 94.5% 1.06
Double Chance x2 23.2% 4.31
Double Chance 12 82.4% 1.21
Goal Average (Home - Away) 2.480 - 0.520
Asian Handicap
Home -2.5 & -3.0 : Away +2.5 & +3.0 27.6% - 72.4% (3.63 - 1.38)
Home -2.0 & -2.5 : Away +2.0 & +2.5 37.7% - 62.3% (2.65 - 1.61)
Home -1.5 & -2.0 : Away +1.5 & +2.0 50.1% - 49.9% (2.00 - 2.00)
Home -1.5 : Away +1.5 55.6% - 44.4% (1.80 - 2.25)
Home -1.0 & -1.5 : Away +1.0 & +1.5 62.2% - 37.8% (1.61 - 2.64)
Home -1.0 : Away +1.0 70.6% - 29.4% (1.42 - 3.40)
Home -0.5 & -1.0 : Away +0.5 & +1.0 74.1% - 25.9% (1.35 - 3.86)
Home -0.5 : Away +0.5 76.8% - 23.2% (1.30 - 4.31)
Home 0 & -0.5 : Away 0 & +0.5 84.3% - 15.7% (1.19 - 6.35)
Home 0 : Away 0 93.3% - 6.7% (1.07 - 14.93)
Home 0 & +0.5 : Away 0 & -0.5 93.9% - 6.1% (1.06 - 16.49)
Home +0.5 : Away -0.5 94.5% - 5.5% (1.06 - 18.08)
@SBOBet Asian Handicap Betting