Without Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United faces an uphill battle against a Newcastle United team that has controlled this fixture.
Photo By – Imagn Images. Nick Woltemade of Newcastle United celebrates his goal to make it 2-0 during the Premier League.
In a rare occurrence, Manchester United and Newcastle United will enjoy the full attention of the Premier League audience as the only fixture on Boxing Day.
The Red Devils will be without their captain Bruno Fernandes, having lost six and drawn once in the previous seven league fixtures he’s missed in his time at the club. That’s a bad omen for them against a Magpies outfit that has won five of its last six meetings with Manchester United.
Read on for my Manchester United vs. Newcastle United predictions and free betting picks for Friday, December 26.
Premier League predictions for Man United vs Newcastle
My Man United vs Newcastle best bet: Newcastle ML (+170 at Sports Interaction)
Manchester United fans hoping for a Christmas miracle were left with nothing more than a lump of coal on Wednesday. Ruben Amorim announced that Bruno Fernandes would miss the match on Boxing Day and would be out at least a few weeks.
The Man United captain has been a stalwart in the starting IX since joining the club in 2020, and this will be just the 17th match overall and eighth Premier League match he’s missed for any reason.
And while Newcastle United haven’t been exactly in the best form, their price of +170 in this spot is a gift. That’s because their midfield should dominate the center of the park.
Amorim will have Casemiro back, but he will either have to go with the utterly poor Manuel Ugarte alongside him in the 3-4-2-1 system or use center back Lisandro Martinez as a makeshift central mid.
Neither Bruno nor Kobbie Mainoo will be fit, so Amorim will have no midfield options off the bench. Making matters worse, he’s without Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo, and Noussair Mazraoui who are away at AFCON, while Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire miss out due to injury.
Newcastle are getting stretched thin themselves. But they may get starting keeper Nick Pope back, and should have a central trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and a returning Joelinton who will run riot on the two-man midfield of Man United. Add in the threat of Nick Woltemade up top and this is a bad spot for the Red Devils to be in.
While the Magpie defense is also banged up, they possess the much stronger midfield, attack, and bench situation. Getting them to win at this price is a late Christmas gift.
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Man United vs Newcastle same-game parlay (SGP)
Newcastle United ML
Nick Woltemade anytime goalscorer
Over 8.5 corners
Woltemade is a menace to defend, standing 6-foot-6 in height and moving well for a big man. He ended a three-match run without a goal by scoring twice at the weekend against Chelsea in the first half.
When Ugarte is on the pitch, Manchester United struggles to defend especially in transition. Add in the absence of de Ligt and Maguire, and the struggles of the 5-foot-10 Luke Shaw defending in the air, and Woltemade will be a legitimate threat to score again on Friday.
There have been at least nine corners in the last six Premier League outings for Newcastle, and Man United’s last four matches have also hit that benchmark. This is in part due to both teams blocking a high percentage of shots, and having their shots blocked.
No team in the league has taken more corners than Newcastle, not even Arsenal, and they’ve conceded the fourth-most to boot. This should be an easy floor to clear.
Man United vs Newcastle odds
Man United vs Newcastle live odds
Man United vs Newcastle opening odds
- Moneyline: Man United +150 | Newcastle +170
- Draw: +240
- Over/Under: Over 2.5 (-160) | Under 2.5 (+115)
How to watch Man United vs Newcastle
| Location | Old Trafford, Manchester, England |
| Date | Friday, December 26, 2025 |
| Time | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | USA |
| Weather | 44F, 12 mph winds, 5% PoP. |
 Recent EPL form |
L-D-W-D-W |
 Recent EPL form |
D-L-W-D-W |
Man United vs Newcastle key injuries
Man United: Bruno Fernandes M (Out), Kobbie Mainoo M (Out), Bryan Mbeumo F (Out), Amad Diallo M (Out), Harry Maguire D (Out), Matthijs de Ligt D (Out), Noussair Mazraoui D (Out).
Newcastle: Nick Pope GK (Questionable), Kieran Trippier D (Out), Valentino Livramento D (Out), Sven Botman D (Out), Daniel Burn M (Out), Jamaal Lascelles D (Out), Emil Krafth D (Out), William Osula F (Out).
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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