There may be no Premier League football this weekend, but we’ve got a whole host of Emirates FA Cup, Sky Bet Football League and European action to look forward to instead.
The likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Arsenal are all on FA Cup duty, whilst former top flight giants Newcastle United and Aston Villa go head-to-head in the Championship.
We’ll also be previewing two top games from the Italian Serie A, as Roma and Torino square off at the Stadio Olimpico, while AC Milan entertain Fiorentina, both on Sunday.
- Burnley v Lincoln City – Burnley to Win to Nil (5/4 at BetVictor)
- Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea – Chelsea to Win -1 (21/20 at Coral)
- Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United – Manchester United to Win and Both Teams to Score (2/1 at Betfair)
- Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur – Tottenham Hotspur to Win 2-0 (19/2 at BetVictor)
- Sutton United v Arsenal – Arsenal to Win -2 (5/4 at Coral)
- Newcastle United v Aston Villa – Newcastle United to Win (8/11 at Sky Bet)
- Roma v Torino – Roma to Win Both Halves (13/5 at Bet365)
- AC Milan v Fiorentina – Draw (23/10 at Ladbrokes)
FA Cup
With just 16 teams left, the race for the 2017 Emirates FA Cup is certainly starting to heat up. Five of the Premier League’s top six are in FA Cup action this weekend, and they will all be vying to make it through to the quarter-finals. There are no all-top flight ties, but there are several intriguing looking fixtures to get our teeth stuck into.
Burnley v Lincoln City – 18th February
The first FA Cup game of the week comes from Turf Moor, as Sean Dyche’s Burnley host Danny Cowley’s Vanarama National League leaders Lincoln City. The Imps have already knocked out two Sky Bet Championship sides in this year’s competition, and will be looking for a hat-trick of upsets this weekend.
However, Lincoln are coming up against a Burnley side who are very strong on their own patch. Only Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have taken more points on home soil than the Clarets in the Premier League this season. Dyche’s troops also beat Sunderland and Bristol City at Turf Moor to reach round five.
Lincoln have had a memorable cup run, but we believe it will come to an end in Lancashire on Saturday. BetVictor are offering 5/4 for the home team to win to nil.
Burnley to Win to Nil – 5/4 at BetVictor
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea – 18th February
Antonio Conte’s Chelsea take a break from Premier League action this weekend, as they travel to Molineux to play Paul Lambert’s Wolverhampton Wanderers. Wolves, who have won away at Stoke City and Liverpool in the FA Cup this season, won’t make it an easy evening for the top flight leaders.
This is a tricky tie for the west London outfit, even though they head to the Midlands as the strong favourites. Wanderers may be struggling in the Championship at present, but they have had no problems in the FA Cup so far. As for the Blues, they eased past Peterborough United and Brentford at Stamford Bridge.
Although we anticipate Wolves to give the Premier League table toppers a good game at Molineux, we can see Conte’s men reaching the quarter-finals at their expense. The standout bet in this one is Chelsea to win -1, which is available at 21/10 at Coral.
Chelsea to Win -1 – 21/20 at Coral
Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United – 19th February
After already beating Championship opposition twice in the FA Cup, Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United face another side from the second tier, this time in the shape of Owen Coyle’s Blackburn Rovers. The holders travel to Ewood Park as the clear favourites to progress to the last eight.
Rovers have had an extremely tough time in the Championship so far this term, and are well and truly embroiled in a relegation scrap. As for United, they are still hunting down a top four spot in the Premier League. With big games in the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and the EFL Cup final to look forward to, this is a huge month for the Red Devils.
We can see Jose’s boys getting the job done at Ewood Park, but we also fancy Blackburn to score on their own patch. Because of that, Betfair’s price of 2/1 for Manchester United to win and both teams to score is a standout bet.
Manchester United to Win and Both Teams to Score – 2/1 at Betfair
Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur – 19th February
Also on Sunday, Slavisa Jokanovic’s Fulham welcome Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur for a tasty looking London derby at Craven Cottage. The Cottagers are just outside the play-off places in the Championship, whilst Spurs sit third in the Premier League.
Even though this is a match you would expect Tottenham to win, Fulham are enjoying a solid season in the second tier, and are a hard nut to crack at the Cottage. It will be up to Spurs to break them down and take the game to their hosts. Pochettino’s men beat Aston Villa and Wycombe Wanderers at White Hart Lane in the previous rounds. Meanwhile, Fulham saw off Cardiff City and Hull City.
Despite losing at Liverpool at the weekend, we’re backing Spurs to hit back this Sunday. We’re being drawn to BetVictor’s 19/2 for the away team to win 2-0, a price we feel is worth having a punt on.
Tottenham Hotspur to Win 2-0 – 19/2 at BetVictor
Sutton United v Arsenal – 20th February
The last tie of the round is the fascinating clash between National League side Sutton United and three-time Premier League champions Arsenal. Sutton have already shocked AFC Wimbledon and Leeds United. Meanwhile, the Gunners have seen off Preston North End and Southampton.
Monday’s match is without doubt Sutton’s biggest fixture in their 118-year history. As for Arsenal, 12-time FA Cup winners, this is a potential banana skin. Of course, the north London side are the overwhelming favourites, but this is the FA Cup after all, a competition in which anything is possible.
Still, we just can’t see anything other than a routine victory for Arsene Wenger and co on Monday, and we feel there’s decent value in Coral’s 5/4 for the Gunners to win -2 at Gander Green Lane.
Arsenal to Win -2 – 5/4 at Coral
Championship
Newcastle United have made top spot their own in the Sky Bet Championship of late, capitalising on a couple of slip ups by Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion. Before Tuesday night’s fixtures, the Magpies top the table by a point. In midweek, Newcastle travel to Norwich City, whilst Brighton host Ipswich Town. We’ll be focusing on Newcastle’s home match with Aston Villa next Monday.
Newcastle United v Aston Villa – 20th February
On Monday evening, Rafael Benitez’s Newcastle United and Steve Bruce’s Aston Villa meet at St James’ Park. With the Magpies looking for another three points to go to their total, whilst Villa need a win to ease some of the growing pressure, we should be in for a cracking contest between these two.
When they met at Villa Park earlier in the season, the pair played out an entertaining 1-1 draw. On Monday, though, Newcastle are the strong favourites to secure another vital three points. Villa have made an awful start to 2017, having lost five and drawn one of their six Championship matches.
Newcastle have swept many a team aside at St James’ this season, and we can see them adding Villa to that list on Monday. Sky Bet are offering 8/11 for Newcastle to come out on top.
Newcastle United to Win – 8/11 at Sky Bet
Serie A
As is usually the case in the Italian Serie A, Juventus sit pretty at the top of the pile. Massimiliano Allegri’s men have won their last five successive league matches to go seven points clear of Roma in the table. This weekend, Luciano Spalletti’s Roma entertain Torino, whilst AC Milan and Fiorentina, who are separated by a single point in the table, meet at the San Siro.
Roma v Torino – 19th February
On Sunday, Luciano Spalletti’s Roma welcome Sinisa Mihajlovic’s Torino to the Stadio Olimpico looking for the win to stay on the heels of Juventus at the top. The team from Rome are the favourites, and should have enough to see off Torino this weekend.
Spalletti’s men go into this one in good shape, having won six of their last seven Serie A matches. As for Torino, they sit ninth, winning just one of their last six league fixtures. Last weekend’s 5-3 home victory over Pescara was their first triumph of 2017.
We can’t see Roma having many problems in this one. Only Porto (in a Champions League qualifier) have beaten Roma at the Olimpico this season. Therefore, we feel there’s good value in Bet365’s 13/5 for the home team to win both halves.
Roma to Win Both Halves – 13/5 at Bet365
AC Milan v Fiorentina – 19th February
On Sunday evening, Vincenzo Montella’s AC Milan host Paulo Sousa’s Fiorentina at the San Siro. With Milan just a point above their visitors in the Italian Serie A table, can one of these steal a march in this one?
It’s been another up and down season for Milan, as they have flirted with the top four on occasions, but have also looked average from time to time. The same can be said about Fiorentina, who finished fifth last year. However, a win for one of these could set them up nicely for a late push towards the European places.
To be honest, these two are very well matched, and we’re having a hard time splitting them. Because of that, we fancy this one to end all square at the San Siro, with Ladbrokes having the draw priced at 23/10.
Draw – 23/10 at Ladbrokes