Amidst the difficult post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, Manchester United have often been able to rely on the domestic cup competitions for a pick-me-up.
That journey begins again as they enter this year's FA Cup in the third round with a short trip to Wigan on Monday. After being dumped from the EFL Cup in the fourth round at the hands of Newcastle back in early November, the FA Cup now becomes their one shot at reaching deep into a domestic knockout competition amidst an otherwise rocky season.
Since 2015, Manchester United have reached at least the semifinal of one domestic Cup in all but two seasons, winning the FA Cup once and the EFL Cup twice in that span. They reached the final of both last year, seemingly foreshadowing a return to prominence in the near future, although that did not quite occur.
Wigan sit 17th in the League One table, and would be a team United will consider themselves far superior to. Since being relegated from the Premier League in 2013, it's been a roller coaster ride for the Latics, yo-yo'ing back and forth between the second and third tier repeatedly.
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Wigan vs Man United prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Draw (+600)
- Score prediction: Wigan 0-0 Man United
Manchester United have a difficult stretch of games coming up, and this could be just the type of match that could cause them problems as they could be caught peering further ahead in their fixture list to Premier League games against Tottenham and Aston Villa.
Wigan are better than their table standing shows, having been pipped a host of times in one-goal games, leaving them with the best goal differential of any League One side below eighth in the table. They have a solid defensive record, and could force a replay which the Red Devils would surely find annoying.
| DraftKings (USA) | |
| Wigan win | +1200 |
| Draw | +600 |
| Man United win | -550 |
| Both teams to score Y/N | +125 / -155 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | -200 / +160 |
| Man United -1.5 goals | -145 |
| Wigan +1.5 goals | +120 |
Wigan vs Man United match facts
- Date: Mon, Jan. 8, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 8:15 p.m. local (3:15 p.m. ET / 12:15 p.m. PT)
- Location: DW Stadium (Wigan, England)
- Referee: Anthony Taylor, VAR: None*
- Last meeting: Man United 4-0 Wigan (Jan. 29, 2017 | FA Cup)
*VAR is only in use in the FA Cup at Premier League grounds, meaning matches played at clubs from lower leagues will not have access to VAR review.
Wigan vs Man United best bet
- Pick: Under 2.5 goals
- Odds: +130 (DraftKings)
Wigan are a bit tough to figure out, but their defensive record is solid enough to potentially cause problems for a Manchester United side struggling with focus and discipline. Especially if Erik ten Hag rotates his side, Wigan could do well to keep a lid on the match, even if the Red Devils do manage to come out on top in the end.
The Latics will be buoyed by the fact that Man United have struggled mightily to create chances this season, and even worse at finishing them. The Red Devils are an abysmal 13th in the Premier League in expected goals, and on top of that, their -7.30 xG/goals differential is fourth-worst in the league.
If United don't score within the first 15 minutes of the match, it could prove a frustrating 90 minutes for Erik ten Hag's side.
Wigan vs Man United prop bet
- Pick: Callum Lang to be booked
- Odds: +300 (FanDuel)
Wigan have logged the fewest shots on target in all of League One, so it tracks that the Latics will be under pressure for most of this match. They will need to use every trick in the book to keep Man United at bay across 90 minutes, and will know frustration is their best friend in that regard.
Persistent fouling is a tactic that Wigan know well, having committed the fourth-most fouls in League One and picked up the most bookings of any team in the third tier. Wigan defender Sean Clare is the club's joint-leader in yellow cards this season with eight, but as the right-back against Marcus Rashford, he's a popular selection and therefore sports just +145 odds to be booked.
His touchline partner Callum Lang, however, has much better value. He's also got eight bookings this year to lead the squad, and has committed 31 fouls to Clare's 18, meaning he will be watched closely by referee Anthony Taylor, who has issued the third-most yellow per match of all English full-time referees. With Lang likely pinned back defending for long stretches on Rashford's wing, he's a prime target to be cautioned.
Wigan vs Man United live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | — | ESPN+ |
| Canada | Sportsnet | Fubo Canada |
| UK | ITV 1 UK, STV Scotland | ITVX, STV Player |
The entirety of the FA Cup is broadcast in the United States on ESPN+, including the final third-round matchup between Wigan and Manchester United.
In Canada, Sportsnet holds the broadcast rights to the FA Cup, with all matches spread across the company's family of networks and their streaming service Sportsnet Now Plus.
In the UK, the FA Cup rights are owned by ITV and STV. This match will be broadcast in much of the UK on ITV 1, while STV will show the game in Scotland.
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