Would you rather be backing Tottenham to beat Burnley this week, or Sir Alex Ferguson's men to win at Pride Park instead? They are roughly the same price with the bookmakers, despite United likely to field a weakened line-up for this Carling Cup clash on Wednesday night. Paddy Power and Skybet are both prepared to lay the English champions at 8/15, a price that will drift or contract according to the team news on the eve of the game.

Many might expect the visitors to prove too strong for their Championship opponents, irrespective of the eleven players who are fielded. Working on the basis that Derby are only fractionally better than Southampton (who United beat 3-0 in the FA Cup on Sunday), this might be a comfortable victory for officially the best team in the world! However, this is a two-legged affair and Fergie might be pleased to come away from the Midlands with a draw which would put them in a strong position for the return fixture. The Rams are 11/4 (Ladbrokes) to hold their illustrious opponents and 13/2 (Blue Square) to pull off a shock win.

It's worth noting that Manchester United play Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, a match which is arguably the most important of the season for the champions. Therefore, don't expect to see Rooney, Ronaldo or Rio lining up against County, although Carlos Tevez (9/2 Blue Square) could be the man to break the deadlock. Darren Fletcher (16/1 bet365) will also roam forward if selected and could be a value First Goalscorer option.

Paddy Power once again come up trumps with the best price (5/4) that United lead at half-time and full-time, something that they did at St Mary's on Sunday. However, they were aided by some rather dubious officiating decisions and Ladbrokes' 7/2 about the Rams keeping things level until the interval before succumbing to the might of the champions makes more appeal.