FA Cup Final Best Bets for Man City vs. Man United (How to Bet Side and Total)
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A Manchester Derby is always a source of excitement, and with silverware on the line, the levels are only amplified. Last year, the season in England ended with this very same FA Cup final matchup, and it certainly lived up to the hype -- a first-minute strike from Ilkay Gündogan threatened to turn it into a laugher, but United fought back and made sure the match finished as a 2-1 classic.
So what should we expect this year, with the same two clubs on the pitch? Of course, there's plenty of turnover in terms of the squads themselves, but there are similarities as well- not everything can change in just 12 months.
Man City vs. Man United Odds and Total
3-Way Moneyline
Man City: -320
Draw: +475
Man United: +700
Spread
Man City -1.5 (-115)
Man United +1.5 (-105)
Total
3.5 (Over +110/Under -150)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
One major difference is that United's defense has completely imploded -- it allowed 58 Prem goals as compared to 43 a season ago, and if not for some heroic efforts from goalkeeper André Onana, the numbers could be even uglier. Another is that while United had actually stolen a game from City in the 2022-23 Prem season, it lost the clashes by scores of 3-0 and 3-1 this time.
There's even more going in City's favor. This time last year, it still had bigger fish to fry, the Champions League final on June 10, the biggest match in their club's history.
This time, it has been knocked out of that particular competition, and the FA Cup match will be the last of its entire season. City should be well-rested, impeccably prepared, and totally focused on making this one performance a great one.
So, City's -320 moneyline doesn't come as too much of a surprise, to say the least. It's worth noting that that's just the line for regular time -- when accounting for extra time and a potential shootout,
City is a staggering -700 to lift the cup.
It goes without saying that if you truly do believe that United has the upset in them, throw on its +400 odds for the other side of that line, but unfortunately for Red Devil backers and general fans of underdogs and upsets, that's probably not the best-value play.
If you want something with plus-odds, consider the under for an alternate goalscoring line of 2.5, a bet you can get at +175 odds. In this winner-take-all format, teams can often become cagey, leading to lower-scoring affairs than you might usually see between the two sides.
Just look at the past four UCL finals- despite often featuring some of the most attack-based and free-flowing teams in Europe, each finished with a 1-0 score.
Even the last one before that streak finished 2-0, with a late Divock Origi goal tacking onto a game-long 1-0 Liverpool lead that was never threatened. It's less extreme in this competitions, but the last four finals feature two 2-1 finishes, a 1-0, and a 0-0.
For a slightly safer play in the same vein, we can make a small same-game parlay of City's moneyline and under the consensus goalscoring line of 3.5. That would give us +135 odds, a solid payday for something that really should happen.
If you want to make it even longer, you can tack on the City player of your choice as an anytime goalscorer. Erling Haaland is always a tempting option, but at -170 he doesn't add all that much value; Phil Foden's +135, Kevin De Bruyne's +250, or even Rodri's +400 could be a better play, as each of these players seems to find a way to contribute in the biggest moments.
To tie it all together, City should win this match, and to the viewer, it will likely be a decisive win, but don't expect it to look like a rout when it comes to the final scoreline. I'd be wary of playing United's spread of +1.5, as a 2-0 with a late cherry-on-top goal could be a crusher, but don't expect a classic City thrashing.
Best Bet: Same game parlay, Man City ML + Under 3.5 Goals (+135)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.