On Sunday, February 26, Manchester United and Newcastle United will walk out onto the pitch of Wembley Stadium to battle for the first silverware of the English season.
Kicking off at 11:30 ET (8:30 PT), the 2023 Carabao Cup Final will be the first not to feature Liverpool or Manchester City since 2016, when Manchester United beat Southampton 3-2.
Now, the Red Devils make a long-awaited return and are at -143 as the favourites in the betting to lift the trophy or +115 to win in 90 minutes.
While they’ll be missing their best player, Newcastle United fans will be out in force to hopefully spur the Magpies to the club’s first major trophy since 1955.
Carabao Cup Final Best Odds
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Money Line & BTTS: Man Utd & No +265
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Anytime Goalscorer: Marcus Rashford +170
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Player to be Carded: Bruno Guimarães +295
Keep scrolling to find the Carabao Cup Final preview as well as the top betting picks and predictions for Manchester United vs Newcastle United at Wembley.
Why are Manchester United the Favourites in the Carabao Cup Final?
Manchester United are the favourites in the Carabao Cup Final because, in domestic competitions, the Red Devils haven’t lost since their 3-2 away defeat to Arsenal on January 22 and have been playing exemplary football.
Erik ten Hag has the team playing just as he wants, being stout defensively and electric going forward, which has been greatly helped by the incredible form of Marcus Rashford.
Now boasting 24 goals in 36 games, the English forward has been a big part of his team surging to third in the Premier League table, but the founding blocks of the team’s success are found further back down the pitch.
Bringing in Casemiro has solidified the midfield in possession and without the ball, while Lisandro Martínez finally adds a now-World-Cup-winning and worthy starter to accompany Raphaël Varane at centre-back.
First, however, the Red Devils host Barcelona in the Europa League on Thursday night, for which all of the star players will need to go all-out to come away with a victory.
The result could be pivotal to the team’s state of mind coming to London just three days later, let alone if any major injuries occur.
Bring on Wembley.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 1, 2023
Bring on the #CarabaoCup final.
BRING ON UNITED! 🔴⚪️⚫️#MUFC pic.twitter.com/rHiHy8lrSL
Why are Newcastle United the Underdogs in the Carabao Cup Final?
Newcastle United are enjoying an incredible season, achieving a long-awaited trip to Wembley and sitting just one point away from the top four with a game in hand.
However, in their 2-0 loss to Liverpool over the weekend, the Magpies lost arguably their best player, Nick Pope, after he committed an indisputable red card offence – gabbing the ball outside of his box.
Their starting goalkeeper will miss the League Cup Final, and their go-to backup, Martin Dúbravka, is cup-tied as he played while on loan to Manchester United earlier in the season. This most likely leaves Loris Karius.
It’s harsh to judge a player on one game, but for Liverpool in the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League Final, it was the German goalie’s two absurd errors that led to a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid.
He hasn’t played for Newcastle during this campaign and featured in just five games on-loan to FC Union Berlin last season.
Many are expecting Karius to be rusty, if not a deer in headlights (again) when the likes of Rashford are bearing down on goal, but this might just prove to be his redemption.
This matters a lot because the backbone of Newcastle’s success has been solid defending and goalkeeping, with their top scorer being Miguel Almirón on ten goals - only one of which has come in 2023.
Still, they’ll get a boost from having boisterous Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães back in the line-up, and manager Eddie Howe has said that they think Joelinton – who has been excellent – will be good to start.
WE'RE GOING TO WEMBLEEEEEYYYYYYYYY!!!!! pic.twitter.com/eOUMLOfarC
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) January 31, 2023
2023 Carabao Cup Final Picks and Predictions
The last two times that these teams met (December 2021 and October 2022), the game resulted in low-scoring ties of 1-1 and 0-0, but Manchester United should be feeling confident as the -143 favourites to lift the trophy.
Given the hole left between the posts by Pope’s suspension, many are looking to the Red Devils getting it done in regular time at +115, while a draw or Newcastle United winning in 90 minutes both get +235 odds.
Manchester United have been on a tear of late, and while the Magpies will throw everything at them in the final, goals have been hard to come by, and this is now a very well-drilled Red Devils team defensively.
So, Manchester United to win and not both teams to score at +265 gets a pick from the soccer betting, as does Marcus Rashford to score anytime at short odds of +170.
With it being the Carabao Cup Final, many bettors will shy away from Newcastle not getting on the score sheet, but with Manchester United being so fluid and potent going forward, they get a pick at -1 on the spread for +310 odds.
Looking at the odds for Newcastle United, we’d predict that, if he starts, Bruno Guimarães will get booked in this high-intensity game at odds of +295, adding to his three yellow cards and single straight red in 24 games.
The final is set 🏆 Wembley awaits. @ManUtd v @NUFC
— Wembley Stadium (@wembleystadium) February 2, 2023
BRING. IT. ON. #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/CcO9OGH70M
While Newcastle could go with either Karius or Mark Gillespie in goal, the loss of Pope and being unable to play Dúbravka has swung the odds even more in favour of the Red Devils to win the Carabao Cup Final this weekend.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 23rd February 2023
