Manchester City and Manchester United meet at Wembley to battle it out for the 2024 FA Cup Final on Saturday. City are the favorites to win, but this is a Manchester Derby and form can fly out the window in such matches. Can United shock City and gain revenge for last season’s defeat in the final? We tell you the answer in our latest soccer betting picks.
The 2023 FA Cup final was also contested between these two teams, but in far contrasting circumstances.
Twelve months ago, Manchester City won the FA Cup, beating Man Utd 2-1 en route to a historic Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup treble.
At the time United were a team on the up under Erik ten Hag. They had already bagged the 2023 Carabao Cup and were looking for a cup double.
Despite this, defeat was expected for United. But they left Wembley with their heads held high after pushing City all the way.
Things are very different this time around.
Manchester City has just completed a historic fourth successive Premier League title. In doing so, they became the first English side in history to win the top flight for four years in a row.
The Blue half of Manchester is out of the Champions League. But they are still the top team in England, and they will be expecting to win the league and cup double for the third time in the last six seasons. And in doing so, they would match United’s achievements in the 1990s.
As for Manchester United, they have had a season to forget. The Red Devils finished eighth in the Premier League, outside of the European places. Their only hope of getting into Europe next season is by beating City. That would see United qualify for the Europa League.
But even that might not be enough to keep Ten Hag in his job.
Manchester United have won the English FA Cup 12 times. Only Arsenal with 14 wins have lifted the famous trophy on more occasions. Manchester City have won the FA Cup seven times.
In the latest betting for the FA Cup, the bookmakers say it’s more than likely that the Premier League champions will win it for an eighth time. Manchester City are -600 to lift the trophy, United are +400.
That’s as one-sided as betting odds gets in a match of this magnitude that is supposed to be between two reasonably matched teams.
In the 90-minute betting, Manchester City are the red hot favorites to win at -315 on the money line. The draw is +490 and a win for Manchester United is +715.
On the handicap market, BetUS are -115 on a win for Manchester City from a -1.5-goal start. To win with the 1.5-goal start, Manchester United is also -115.
Manchester City are +103 to score over 2.5 goals and -133 to score under 2.5. United are +135 to score zero goals and -165 to score more than one. In the total match goals market, over 3.5 goals is +100 and under 3.5 is -130.
There is no market there that is saying anything positive about Manchester United.
More FA Cup betting options are available on our odds table. All our odds are taken from the best soccer betting sites.
| 2024 FA Cup Final |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man City | -315 | -315 | -315 |
| Man Utd | +715 | +715 | +715 |
| Draw | +490 | +490 | +490 |
| To Lift The Trophy | |||
| Man City | -600 | -600 | -600 |
| Man Utd | +400 | +400 | +400 |
Is there any case to be made for a Manchester United win?
Well, possibly, has to be the answer. Manchester City only clinched the Premier League title on Sunday. And as the footage that emerged showed, they had a bit of a party to celebrate.
Whilst City have nearly a week to recover, it’s still not ideal preparation for a game that could be played in energy sapping sunshine on the wide open spaces of Wembley.
This could be clutching at straws for United. And a lot of straws.
City have been head and shoulders above United all season. Okay, the Red Devils have the players to beat City over a one-off match. But in their current form, there is simply no case to call a United win.
So for our first betting pick, we are going for Manchester City (-1.5 goals) to win on the handicap line at -115. City would need to win by two clear goals for this bet to win, and we say they will.
Second, we are going for Manchester City to score over 2.5 goals. United have been woeful at the back in recent weeks. In their last five matches they have conceded one against Burnley, four against Crystal Palace, one against Arsenal, two against Newcastle and none against Brighton.
The Brighton shut out was their most recent match. But that was their first clean sheet in 12 matches. And even in that match, the Seagulls had 17 attempts on goal to United’s 11.
We say City will score three or more.
Check below for our list of the top sportsbooks where you can wager on the FA Cup online. For more information about the listed betting sites, visit our page listing all the top-rated sportsbooks for online sports betting.
About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
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