This week is all about cup football in England. After the second legs of the EFL Cup semi finals during midweek, it’s the fourth round of the FA Cup this weekend. The third round weekend didn’t quite live up to billing but we still had the usual smattering of weakened teams to decry and cup upsets to enjoy.
Whether the teams left in the competition view the FA Cup as an important chance to win silverware, an unwanted distraction or anything in between, there is money to be made throughout the fourth round. That’s why we’ve gone through all of the coming matches to pick out our selection of the best bets for you below. In truth it isn’t the most exciting batch of games we’ve ever seen but that’s something that can certainly be improved with a bet or two!
- Yeovil v Man Utd – Man Utd to Win to Nil (5/6 with BetVictor)
- Peterborough v Leicester – Leicester to Win and Over 2.5 Goals (13/10 with Betfred)
- Hull v Nottingham Forest – Nottingham Forest to Win (2/1 with Betfred)
- Newport County v Tottenham – Tottenham to Win to Nil (5/6 with Bet365)
- Liverpool v West Brom – Liverpool to Score Over 2.5 Goals (7/10 with Coral)
- Chelsea v Newcastle – Over 3.5 Goals (7/4 with Coral)
- Cardiff v Man City – Under 2.5 Goals (6/4 with Ladbrokes)
Yeovil v Man Utd – 26th January
Every manager in the Premier League and Football League knows that their job prospects lie with league form. For that reason, many of them prioritise the bread and butter of their league campaign over the FA Cup. Yeovil manager, Darren Way, will be taking a different approach for Friday night’s match against Man Utd.
Way has history with Man Utd. The Red Devils played a testimonial at Huish Park for his benefit after his career was ended following a car crash. He has remained in touch with Sir Alex Ferguson since that match and will get time to talk with the current Man Utd manager, Jose Mourinho on Friday night. Way wants to show what he and his team can do against Man Utd, even though Yeovil are very much in the relegation dog fight in League Two after a serious fall from grace over the past three or four years.
Like Ferguson, Mourinho knows all about winning the FA Cup. He won the famous trophy with Chelsea and is gagging for more success with Man Utd. Mourinho also knows about the perils of underestimating a Football League opponent after his team were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Bristol City. United will do all they can to avoid another cup upset and look good value to beat Yeovil to nil at 5/6 with BetVictor.
Man Utd to Win to Nil – 5/6 with BetVictor
Peterborough v Leicester – 27th January
Leicester’s trip to Fleetwood was perhaps the most disappointing match of the FA Cup third round. The match at Highbury Stadium was billed as a chance for Jamie Vardy to return to his old stomping ground. However, not only was Vardy ruled out of the match with injury but the game also ended in a drab 0-0.
Nevertheless, Leicester got the better of Fleetwood in the replay to set up a fourth round tie with Peterborough. All told, Leicester are playing very well under Claude Puel. The Foxes are a potent attacking force who should have too much about them for Peterborough. That said, Grant McCann’s Posh are among the highest scorers in League One and will give it a real good go in front of the TV cameras. Expect Leicester to come through an entertaining match at London Road.
Leicester to Win and Over 2.5 Goals – 13/10 with Betfred
Hull v Nottingham Forest – 27th January
Marco Silva became the latest Premier League manager to lose his job on Sunday but it’s not just the top flight where the managerial roundabout is in full swing. Aitor Karanka, the former Middlesbrough manager, was recently appointed as the new Nottingham Forest boss and he’s had an instant impact. The Spaniard oversaw a 2-0 away win over the Championship’s runaway leaders, Wolves, last weekend and they’ll be confident of another win when they play Hull on Saturday.
Karanka got plenty of praise from his players after the Wolves win but there’s no doubt that Forest’s helter skelter FA Cup win over Arsenal galvanised everybody at the club. It remains to be seen how far they can go in the competition but they’ve got every chance of beating Hull at 2/1 with Betfred. That’s a very big price in our eyes. The Tigers are very much wrapped up with their fight to avoid relegation to League One and a weakened home team will only hand Nottingham Forest another advantage.
Nottingham Forest to Win – 2/1 with Betfred
Newport County v Tottenham – 27th January
Newport County were happy enough to make it to the third round of the FA Cup. The Welsh club welcomed a full house for the visit of Leeds United to Rodney Parade and they were treated to a thrilling match in which Newport came from behind to pinch a huge win. Their reward for beating Championship opposition is another home match, this time against Premier League opponents in the shape of Tottenham Hotspur.
While the Newport fans would doubtless have loved a trip to Wembley to take on Spurs, they’ll believe that their chances of success are greater on home territory. Certainly Tottenham will be far from comfortable at Rodney Parade and Mauricio Pochettino must demand a fully committed performance from his team or they could end up with egg on their face.
Newport have a great opportunity to show the world what they’re all about but in truth they have very little chance of getting a result over Tottenham. The north London side are doing all they can to win their first silverware under Pochettino’s management and should be comfortable winners on Saturday evening. So, back Spurs to win to nil at 5/6 with Bet365.
Tottenham to Win to Nil – 5/6 with Bet365
Liverpool v West Brom – 27th January
Is Alan Pardew finally starting to turn things around at West Brom? The club’s new manager was initially unable to change the Baggies’ fortunes but he utilised the FA Cup well. Rather than resting players for the trip to play Exeter City, Pardew played a strong side which resulted in a morale boosting win. That was quickly followed by a 2-0 win over Brighton and a valuable point away to Everton.
It will be interesting to see whether Pardew takes the same approach for West Brom’s trip to Anfield. Does he go for another big win or does he make the most of his resources to avoid relegation? Moreover, will his approach actually make any difference against the in-form Reds?
Jurgen Klopp has the firepower at his disposal to make it past West Brom whatever team they play. Liverpool proved their top four credentials with victory over Man City a fortnight ago and are yet to lose at Anfield this term. They’ve scored three or more goals an amazing 11 times in the league and should be able to do likewise on Saturday.
Liverpool to Score Over 2.5 Goals – 7/10 with Coral
Chelsea v Newcastle – 28th January
After three straight 0-0 draws, Chelsea finally rediscovered their mojo on the weekend. The Blues brightened up a drab afternoon in Brighton by putting four past the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium. The scoreline didn’t flatter Chelsea in the slightest who were the best side from the first kick to the last and they’ll fancy their chances of another big win when Newcastle visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Antonio Conte’s side have been strongly linked with an unusual range of strikers and Eden Hazard and co seemed to respond by seriously upping their game last time out.
The Blues have certainly enjoyed recent games against Newcastle. They’ve won three of their last four matches with the Magpies, scoring 12 goals and conceding four in that time. Newcastle tend to struggle in London in general and with Rafa Benitez prioritising the fight against relegation, there’s every chance Chelsea will put on a show in front of their fans. There’s also the chance that, freed from the pressures of the Premier League, Newcastle will try to attack the hosts. So, the best betting option is over 3.5 goals which is very nicely priced at odds of 7/4 with Coral.
Over 3.5 Goals – 7/4 with Coral
Cardiff v Man City – 28th January
Neil Warnock has never been the most popular manager among football fans. He’s been winding up the opposition throughout his career and his appointment in a new job is rarely well received. However, the much travelled manager has a knack of winning over fans when he takes over and the Cardiff City faithful are certainly happy to have him on board.
The Bluebirds are currently third in the Championship and have every chance of winning promotion to take on the likes of Man City every week. For now though, they’ll have to rely on cup matches to face the best of the best. Warnock would love to throw a spanner in the works of this excellent Man City team and he can rely on his team to work hard and keep things tight. After their EFL Cup semi final against Bristol City, the Citizens are set to rest players. While they should win, their second string won’t find scoring easy in the Welsh capital so backing under 2.5 goals could pay dividends at 6/4 with Ladbrokes.
Under 2.5 Goals – 6/4 with Ladbrokes