Champions League picks: Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich odds, prediction

It doesn’t take long for things to get nervy around Manchester United.

Expectations are always sky high at Old Trafford and that was especially true for this season after Erik ten Hag led the Red Devils to a third-place finish in the Premier League in 2022-23.

Another step forward was expected, but things have not gone to plan through the first five weeks of the new campaign.

Not only has United lost three of its first five matches, but the two wins (which came against Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton) were far from convincing as well.

Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich pick

In fact you could make the argument that United has been disappointing in every single one of their matches this season.

A trip to Bayern Munich on Wednesday is not what the doctor ordered. Or is it?

There’s a lot going on at Manchester United that is causing the club some issues right now.

There are a handful of players who are injured, a couple more who are suspended and a few more who are just simply struggling with form right now.

This has all added up into a major headache for Ten Hag, who looked like he had the Red Devils on the right path after an impressive showing in the Premier League in 2022-23. 

But as disappointing as United have been to start the season and as worried as everyone seems to be about what’s going on at Old Trafford, it’s not time to panic just yet.

In fact, this could be the perfect opportunity to actually back the Red Devils.

This could end up being the low-water mark for Manchester United.

Perhaps United sinks a little deeper, but at some point you’d imagine that this team — which was the third-favorite to win the Premier League just six weeks ago — will turn things around.

There’s just too much talent for it to go completely pear-shaped. 

And this isn’t just a good buy-low spot, it’s also a decent tactical setup for the Red Devils, who do their best work as a quick, counterattacking outfit that can punish teams once they turn the ball over.

That’s exactly how you want to beat Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich has as much offensive firepower as any team in Europe not named Manchester City, but the Bavarians also have some cracks in their armor defensively.

Bayern wants to be on the front foot and let its attack dictate the match, but they have a habit of being vulnerable in transition, which may play into United’s hands here.

Perhaps Bayern routs the Red Devils in front of a raucous crowd in Munich, but this price is more than generous enough to buy low on United.

The bet: Manchester United +475 (DraftKings)