FA Cup betting – Leicester City vs Man City

Leicester City vs Man City betting preview

Leicester City: League Position: 12th, League Form: LDLWW

Sven Goran Eriksson is manager of a Leicester side with lofty ambitions. Sound familiar? Except this time, everything is a touch scaled down.

The man who first took on the job of managing the new, cash rich Manchester City (who later got even richer) faces his old club.

The team come off two consecutive wins. One of English football’s forgotten men Darius Vassell got them the winner on Monday against Swansea, and is another man facing a former club. This tie can be summed up for Leicester by looking at the cost and quality of the reserve side they’ll be playing.

It’s the FA Cup, and as such there are always shocks, but the emphatically professional style that Mancini has drilled into Manchester City means Leicester will have to be at their best to even score. Check out all the latest FA Cup free bet offers.

Manchester City: League Position: 2nd, League Form: LWWWD

Manchester City stifled any life out of their game at The Emirates on Wednesday and came away with a valuable point. It was the style you’d only find either in Italy or a team guided by an Italian. Job done was the conclusion of that match.

Away at Leicester things will be more difficult to predict, well in terms of the line up anyway. Don’t expect to see the likes of Silva, Yaya Toure, Balotelli or Tevez. Jo may be left to lead the line, especially as they look to get rid of Santa Cruz and Adebayor, who they won’t want cup tied.

Much depends on how important Mancini believes the FA Cup to be this year. The team are quite capable of winning the Europa League and still in the hunt for the Premier League title. Saying that even if he doesn’t focus on this competition, a weakened Man City are too good for Leicester.

Match Prediction: MANCHESTER CITY WIN – 1.7 William Hill – Get a £25 free bet here

Players with something to prove coming into the second half of the season should get their chance here against Leicester. City don’t have a game for a week and don’t need to rest all their players. Adam Johnson, Jo and Patrick Vieira are the types that come in when others need a break, and all are too good for the home side.

As such, it’s hard to look at this one as the shock the third round of the FA Cup always produces, especially with the closed, defensive system that suffocates the style of others. Not to suggest Leicester would come full of flair and panache, Vassell didn’t guarantee that in his prime, and he’s definitely clear of his prime.

Johnson will be the reason to watch this game. Exciting, skilful, direct and confident, he’s opened up better teams and will do the same here. Too easy for City.

Highlighted Bets:-

Over/Under: Over 2.5 Goals – 1.8 Paddy Power
First Goalscorer: Adam Johnson – 8.5 Bet365
Correct Score: 3-0 Man City Win – 13.00 Bet365

Match Odds:-

Leicester City – 5.5 Bet365
Draw – 4.00 Sky Bet
Manchester City – 1.7 William Hill

By Chris Wilkerson

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FA Cup betting – Leeds vs Arsenal

Leeds vs Arsenal betting preview

Leeds were left with a sour taste in their mouth after Cesc Fabregas’s 90th minute penalty earned the home side a replay in a game where for large spells of the game Leeds dominated. Leeds now hold the home advantage and will come fast out of the blocks in this game. After the last fixture was settled by two penalties, it seems only reasonable that there could be another in this fixture, the in-form Robert Snodgrass is Leeds’s normal penalty taker and is a good value at 17.0 on Bet365 to open the scoring, however if you have the faith that Arsenal’s keeper Wojciech Szczesny has the number of the Leeds man why not have a bet on that a penalty will be missed in the game with PaddyPower offering 7.0 for this eventuality. Click here to compare free bets.

Leeds will definitely be on a high after a thoroughly convincing performance against Scunthorpe this weekend, temperamental striker Max Gradel scored a good goal to cap an overall good performance and could cause the shaky Arsenal defence a few problems and is therefore worth a look in at odds of 5.0 on Coral to score at any time.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger’s side have now suffered two cup embarrassments at the hands of Championship opposition in as many weeks. While Wenger holds out on Premier League title hopes, more realistically he wants silverware and the FA cup is as good as any and he will therefore most probably go with a stronger squad than the one used in these teams last encounter, most probably ditching his ineffective 4-4-2 and reverting to his tried and tested 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 that performed so well this weekend against an ailing West Ham.

Arsenal surely will utilise the now fully fit and back to form Robin Van Persie to terrorise the Leeds backline that played well last time out against the ineffective Maraune Chamakh and Nicklaus Bendtner. Van Persie has short odds of 5.75 on Victor Chandler of opening the scoring but after his show on Sunday at Upton Park it’s not hard to see why.

While Leeds can count themselves very unlucky in having a replay in the first place it looks unlikely that an upset will materialise here with Arsenal looking set to play a much stronger side including inspirational captain Cesc Fabregas and a Theo Walcott enjoying the best form of his Arsenal career. An Arsenal win seems the most likely result with them winning by a good margin, 3-0 was the score at the weekend and another 3-0 could be on the cards and has promising odds of 14.0 on UniBet.

Highlighted Bets

First Goalscorer Robert Snodgrass 17.0 Bet365
Penalty to be missed 7.0 Paddy Power
Anytime Goalscorer Max Gradel 4.5 Blue Square
First Goalscorer Robin Van Persie 5.75 Victor Chandler
Correct Score Arsenal 3-0 11.0 BetFred

By John Fernandez

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FA Cup betting tips 22/01/10

Stoke City vs Arsenal preview

With the FA cup swinging back into action this weekend, Sunday will see attention switch to the Britannia Stadium and the all Premier League tie between Stoke and Arsenal. An immediate reaction may be to write off Stoke in favour of league leaders Arsenal, and this is reflected in William Hill’s odds of 5/6 on the Gunners to progress. However, Arsene Wenger’s tendency to field his youngsters in the early stages of the cup may give Stoke a glimmer of hope, making them seem a fair bet at 10/3.

Given a boost by in form ‘keeper Thomas Sorensen’s pledge to remain at the club despite interest from Bayern Munich, Stoke can be buoyed by strong recent performances against Liverpool and Fulham. The fact that the potters hold the home advantage could be a pivotal factor, as seen when the two sides met last season; with Stoke running out 2-1 winners. On the score sheet that day was Ricardo Fuller, a man hoping to make an impression this time around. The Jamaican stands at 8/1 to be the first goal scorer on Sunday, though goal scoring defender Ryan Shawcross may be tempting to many at 20/1 given Arsenal’s vulnerability when defending set pieces. Semi Finalists in this competition over a decade ago, City will not have wanted such a tough draw in the pursuit to reward their faithful home fans with a trophy. Stoke’s home record speaks for itself though, and with a roaring home crowd and potentially dreary winter conditions, this may be the best chance for a mid-table Stoke side to overcome Arsenal’s cultured brilliance. Make sure you check out the free bets available for the FA Cup.

Wednesday’s impressive come back to beat Owen Coyle’s Bolton underlined just how good Arsenal have been this season. Averaging over two and a half goals each game in the Barclays Premier League, even despite the absence of the talismanic Robin van Persie, the Londoners have surprised many critics so far this campaign. Their potent strike force, along with Thomas Vermaelen’s addition to tighten up the defence, had lead to Arsenal being the team nobody wanted to face in the fourth round of this year’s competition. Captain Cesc Fabregas has been in scintillating form of late, netting fourteen goals in all competitions and playing a major part in a run of nine games unbeaten; their last loss coming in a meaningless Champions League match at Olympiakos early in December. The Spaniard is at 10/1 to score two goals or more, whilst headline maker Sol Campbell’s potential second debut for the club has him at 33/1 to score first.

Without a trophy since their last FA cup victory in 2005, Arsenal fans and players will be desperate to gain some silverware this season, and with Manchester United already falling to lower league opposition, this may be their best opportunity. Wenger’s young side could certainly do without a replay, making the draw, at 12/5, a prospect they could well do without. It will certainly be an intriguing encounter, and you can bet that Tony Pulis will do his upmost to see his club into the next round of the competition. The odds may favour Arsenal’s talented kids, but the magic of the cup never ceases to throw up an upset, and Stoke will be certain to give everything in search of a place in the fifth round draw.

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FA Cup Final Betting

Chelsea vs Portsmouth betting preview

Crowned the new Premier League Champions after a three year exile, now Chelsea are on the verge of creating club history; by completing a famous league and cup double. After securing the title with an emphatic 8-0 win over Wigan Athletic on Sunday, the Blues can scoop a second piece of silverware in as many weeks if they defeat relegated Portsmouth in the FA Cup Final. The Wembley showdown pairs the current FA Cup holders Chelsea, with 2006 winners Pompey but unsurprisingly the former are massive odds on favourites to lift the trophy again this year. Chelsea’s odds are trading from 1/10 to 1/7 but Paddy Power offer slightly better figures at 2/9, Pompey are listed at 12/1 and if extra time is required the draw pays out at 6/1 with Bet 365.

The West Londoners began the road to Wembley with a 5-0 thrashing of Championship side Watford and Preston soon followed suit but this time by a more respectable 2-0 score line at Deepdale. Another Championship outfit provided the opposition in the fifth round, when Cardiff City became the only team so far to breach the Chelsea rearguard but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 4-1 victory. Stoke City and Aston Villa both fell victim to Stamford Bridge defeats in the quarter and semi final stages respectively. One banner at Stamford Bridge on Sunday declared that Ancelotti was ‘more than special’ and while he might need to win the Champions League to prove that to himself, winning the FA Cup is another step in the right direction.

Porstmouth boss Avram Grant, who guided Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2008, praised his former club after clinching the title but the Israeli firmly believes cash-strapped Pompey’s journey to the FA Cup final should go down as the story of the season. The South coast club’s cup campaign began with a replay win over Coventry City in round three, they saw off Sunderland 2-1 at Fratton Park in the next before a fine 4-1 away win at local rivals Southampton. The quarter finals paired them with Birmingham who they accounted for 2-0, and this would prove to be the same score line in extra time victory over Tottenham in the semi final. But will the final be a test to far for Pompey?

Chelsea completed the double over Portsmouth in the Premier League this season, although it took a penalty ten minutes from time to secure a 2-1 success at Stamford Bridge in December. It was far more comfortable in the reverse fixture at Fratton Park in March, where they romped home 5-0 winners thanks to Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba braces. The latter is 5/2 favourite with Betfred to score first at Wembley and add to his 36 goals in all competitions this term. Frank Lampard became the first midfielder to score more than 20 goals this season and he looks a steady bet at 4/1 to score past England compatriot David James. Choose from over £500 in free bets from leading UK bookmakers.

It’s been a season of goals galore for Chelsea this season as they broke the one hundred barrier in the league beating Manchester United’s record in the process. The Blues finished the season with +71 goal difference and scored more than 7 goals in four league games this season. So expect a capacity Wembley crowd to witness goals on Sunday. Remarkably, Carlo’s men are as short as 9/2 to score over 4.5 goals while a repeat of the 8-0 thrashing of Wigan is as low as 50/1 with some bookmakers. While this seems very unlikely expect Chelsea to win by a convincing margin, take up the Chelsea to win to nil at a creditable 4/6 with Paddy Power. The Irish bookies will also refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score or scorecast singles on the match if Frank Lampard scores the last goal in 90 minutes, The England midfielder will be on penalty duties once again so this bet might prove popular.

Owners have come and gone, and while it has been a season of woes off and on the field the Pompey faithful will be hoping their players can upset the odds and pull off a great Wembley shock. Championship football may beckon but will they have the last laugh, surely not?

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FA Cup Betting Update

Despite being drawn against eachother, Chelsea and Liverpool lead the betting market for the FA Cup.

Jose Mourinho’s team are best price 11/10 to lift the trophy in the Millenium Stadium in May, where as Ladbrokes make the Blues an odds on chance! Liverpool are best price 2/1 with a host of bookmakers including Blue Square and Stan James.

Many may argue that 2/1 represents poor betting value about Liverpool as they have failed to overcome Chelsea on four occasions this season, including when they were on the wrong end of a 4-0 drubbing at Anfield.

The other FA Cup Semi-Final is West Ham against whoever wins the replay between Charlton and Middlesborough. West Ham are an 11/2 betting chance with Betfred and VC Bet. Many will consider these odds to be generous considering the great season the Hammers are having. The remaining two in the market are Middlesborough at best price odds 11/1 with Stan James, and outsiders Charlton available at 18/1 with Bet365.

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FA Cup betting – Everton vs Chelsea

Everton vs Chelsea betting preview

Everton     Form: WDLWDD     Position: 14th

Just one defeat in their last 9 league and cup games, has moved Everton up to 14th in the league and eased their relegation fears. While an easy 5-1 away victory at Scunthorpe in the last round helped the Toffees through to a tricky home tie against current holders Chelsea. Tim Cahill’s absence at the Asia Cup has forced David Moyes to push two strikers up front instead of his favoured 4-1-1, and Everton have definitely seen the benefits from a more attacking approach. Since the start of January, they’ve scored 6 goals in their last 3 league games and 5 against Scunthorpe in the FA Cup. Seamus Coleman has had a good season so far and scored 5 goals in all competitions, and the defender is a great price at 8/1 with Bet365 to score at any time. Tim Cahill will still miss the tie due to international duty but Everton have no other injury concerns or suspensions.

Chelsea     Form: LWDLWW     Position: 4th

It appears Chelsea have finally recovered from their slump in form, winning their last 3 games and scoring an impressive 13 goals without reply. It is also the first time they have won 3 in a row since their poor run began back in October. However their away record is certainly still worrying, before the win at Bolton, Chelsea had gone 6 away league games without a win. Manager Carlo Ancelotti may field a strong side in hope of winning the competition, after seeing his title defence falter somewhat over the last couple of months. Nicholas Anelka is the Blues top scorer this season with 13 goals in all competitions, and the Frenchman is a good bet at 6/1 with Bwin to open the scoring. Frank Lampard is a doubt for the lunchtime kick off and Yuri Zhirkov and Alex are still out.

Match Prediction Chelsea Win best priced at 11/10 with Betfred – Free £50 bet

Chelsea should go into this tie high on confidence after a good win last time out, but their away form has not been great in recent months. Equally, Everton’s home form has also been poor this season, winning just 3 of 11 games. The Toffees are also the draw specialists of the Premier League with 12 drawn matches from 23. With this in mind a 1-1 draw would not be surprising and the result is showing good odds of 6-1 at Skybet.

Highlighted Bets

S Coleman anytime goal scorer – 8/1 Bet365
1-1 Correct score – 6/1 Skybet
N Anelka first goal scorer – 6/1 VC Bet

By Sam Markham

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FA Cup betting – Chelsea vs Ipswich

Chelsea vs Ipswich betting preview

With league form dwindling fast and after a truly embarrassing defeat at the hands of Wolves midweek, Carlo Ancellotti may be right in thinking that a good cup run may be the best his ailing Chelsea side can manage. Chelsea’s main problem has been that they have lacked depth in their squad, meaning that rotation could be a risky move for Ancellotti. However it is possible that youngsters Daniel Sturridge, Gael Kakuta and Josh MacEachran could all be handed rare starts. In the games young English striker Sturridge has played he has shown that he is definitely capable in front of goal, so his price of 6.5 on Bet365 could be a clever one against a fragile Ipswich defence.

Chelsea was crowned FA Cup champions this year, which meant that the infamous Ashley Cole picked up a record breaking 6th winners medal. Last year the blues faced Championship opposition in the form of Watford and at Stamford Bridge they embarrassingly put 5 past the visitors. The odds on Chelsea scoring over 5 goals in this match are priced at 4.0 on Bet365 if you believe Ipswich are in for a routing as Watford were last season. A loss for Chelsea though could be big for the club though. Roman Abramovich is known to have quite an itchy trigger finger and may be forced to send Ancellotti packing if the result does not go the right way Sunday; Ancellotti has odds of 9.0 to be the next Premier League Manager to leave his post in this situation.

Ipswich

Ipswich find themselves managerless 20 months after Roy Keane’s appointment and have only won 1 game in their last 9 fixtures. The statistics speak for themselves here, that the Tractor Boys look unlikely to cause an upset here, however if there is to be one man to turn their fortunes around it can only be Ex-Wigan striker and top scorer Jason Scotland. He has odds of 5.0 on SkyBet to score at any time and with the Chelsea back line looking frailer than ever, it could be an intelligent bet.

Ipswich did make the fourth round last season when they eventually lost to Southampton, and let us not forget that they were in the top division last decade. However the chances of an upset at Stamford Bridge do look bleak after Roy Keane’s sacking, but who knows what caretaker boss Ian McParland has in store.

Highlighted Bets

First Goalscorer Daniel Sturridge 6.5 Bet365
Chelsea score over 5 goals 4.0 Bet365
Next Premier League Manager to leave post Carlo Ancellotti 9.0 SkyBet
Anytime Goalscorer Jason Scotland 5.0 SkyBet

By John Fernandez

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FA Cup betting – Chelsea vs Everton

Chelsea vs Everton betting preview

Chelsea and Everton will battle out another tie at Stamford Bridge on Saturday after the 4th round tie finished 1-1 at the end of January. The game is also a repeat of the 2009 cup final which the London side won 2-1. The winner of the match will play Reading at home in the next round.

Chelsea vs Everton odds

Chelsea

Chelsea’s January revival has been halted somewhat over the last few weeks after failing to win their last two games. With their title hopes fading after another draw in the week, though they have Petr Cech to thank for keeping them from defeat, it now seems they have a fight on their hands to even finish in the Champions League places. This may mean that manager Carlo Ancelotti puts an added importance on retaining the FA Cup for a third successive season. However, despite the two recent slip-ups, the Blues have still only lost 1 of their last 7 games and are firm favourites to progress on Saturday and best priced at 1.6 with William Hill. While a 2-1 home win is showing good odds of 9.0 with SkyBet as Chelsea may struggle to overcome a resilient Everton side. January signing Fernando Torres is cup-tied for the game so the focus may be on top scorer Nicholas Anelka to find the net and the Frenchman is a nice price at 6.0 with Bet365 to open the scoring.

Everton

Everton’s form has been quite up and down in recent weeks after good displays against Chelsea and Blackpool have been followed by a not so convincing performance against Bolton in the midweek defeat. Everton do have a decent record at Stamford Bridge though having drawn on their last 3 visits. Tim Cahill returned to the starting line up for the game against Bolton but looked rusty after returning from the Asia Cup with Australia. The midfielder, who has scored 9 goals for the Toffees this season, is a real threat in the air and a good price at 10.0 with Paddy Power to score at anytime with his head. Both of the games between the sides this season have ended in a 1-1 draw and Coral are offering good odds of 8.5 for that to happen again at the weekend with Paddy Power even offering odds of 14.0 for either side to win it on penalties. Although Everton will head to London this weekend without top scorer Louis Saha and the Frenchman will be sadly missed after scoring 7 goals in his last 6 games before his injury.

Highlighted Bets

Chelsea win – 1.6 William Hill
First Goalscorer Nicholas Anelka – 6.0 Bet365
Chelsea to win 2-1 – 9.0 Skybet
1-1 Draw – 8.5 Coral
Either side to win on penalties – 14.0 Paddy Power
Tim Cahill to score a header at any time – 10.0 Paddy Power

By Sam Markham

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Scottish football betting tips

Scottish betting preview for matches on weekend of 30th October

This week, looking at the SPL fixtures, there is not a lot of value to be had. Fortunately the First Division looks more fruitful. If you look at the table there is a gap building as the top three teams begin to gather momentum. Raith Rovers, who sit top of the league on 23 points, are hosted by Morton, who sit joint bottom on 9 points with Partick Thistle and Ross County. Dunfermline, who are in second place, host Stirling, who are only 3 points clear of the bottom three and Falkirk play hosts to cash stricken Dundee.

Morton have been suffering from some woeful form at Cappielow this season, chalking up only one victory thus far. Raith Rovers have not been in stellar form away from home but their overall form has been steady and consistent, which is represented by their ascendance to the top of the table. Morton have been suffering somewhat of a goal drought at home, scoring only once in front of their home fans in their last 6 home games. With these numbers it is very hard to predict anything other than an away win at a best priced 11/10 with Bet 365.

Falkirk come into this game on the back of a domineering performance against SPL side Aberdeen in the cup midweek. Dundee got the upper hand last time these two sides met, on the opening day of the season but, with their perilous financial position and the SFL’s decision on their punishment for entering administration looming, they are not the same side that faced the Bairns that day. Several key players have been let go and the management team of Gordon Chisholm and Billy Dodds has been lost, leaving Dundee a shadow of the team that started the season. This puts Falkirk in a prime position to capitalise and take all 3 points from this fixture. They are a best price 8/13, available with a number of bookmakers.

Dunfermline has turned East End Park into a fortress so far this season. They are unbeaten at home and I don’t feel the Bino’s have the required man power to storm the gates this weekend. This game is by no means an easy game for Dunfermline. Stirling toppled Raith Rovers in their last away game. This aside, on paper Dunfermline are the stronger team with the better form. Also, Stirling haven’t won at East End Park since 1993. The home team are a best priced 4/9 with Stan James.

Recommended bets for Celtic vs Rangers

As a single bet these games do not offer much value for your average punter but as a top three treble excellent value is there to be had. Bet 365 offer the best returns with £47.50 for a £10 Stake. This is well worth getting on. Elsewhere in Scotland, Ayr (6/4) are a solid shout to beat Peterhead away from home and value is to be had backing Livingston (19/20) who are away to Forfar.

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Scottish Premier League betting – Celtic vs Rangers

Celtic vs Rangers betting preview

This Sunday provides us with one of the most exciting fixtures of the Scottish football calendar. Celtic Park will resemble a boiling cauldron as they take on their fierce rivals Rangers. This game is made even more tantalising given that both teams are unbeaten in their last eight games and they are deadlocked at the top of the table with twenty four points a piece.

It’s tough to choose between the two teams for this match which is reflected in the odds offered. Celtic are favourites with a best price 11/8 being offered for the home win by William Hill. They are also best priced about an away win for Rangers at 5/2. The draw could offer the safest bet with Ladbrokes offering a tempting 12/5. After Rangers impressive performance against Valencia mid week, I am tempted to be a bit cavalier and go for an away triumph. Lee Mculloch and Kirk Broadfoot return for the Gers further strengthening their position against Celtic, who are missing the influential midfielder Scott Brown. A safer option would be to take advantage of Extrabet’s 7\5 for Rangers to win, draw no bet.

With so much at stake for both teams I don’t necessarily believe it will be a high scoring game but, with both teams scoring in three of the last four Old Firm fixtures, Blue Square’s 4/5 for both teams to score is a solid bet. On the goal scorer front, Kenny Miller has been prolific for Rangers so far this season topping the scoring table with 11 goals. Coral’s 13/2 for Miller to score first seems excellent value, too good to pass up. Coral also offer 11/5 for the more cautious punter for Miller to score anytime.

Celtic also haven’t been short of goals this season, only sitting second place by one goal difference. Shaun Maloney and Gary Hooper spearhead the attack with 4 goals and 3 goals respectively. My preference would be for Hooper to get his name on the score sheet in this game. Unfortunately the bookies agree with this assumption and he is a best priced 2/1 with Coral to score anytime.

If Celtic send out their same team from their 2-1 victory over Dundee United, only six of those players will have experienced an Old Firm derby. The Rangers team is more battle hardened, captained by the experienced David Weir and managed by the wily old head of Walter Smith. This is the difference that can give them the edge over a green Celtic team.

Recommended bets for Celtic vs Rangers

Rangers to win at best odds 5/2 with William Hill – Free £25 bet
Kenny Miller first goal scorer at best odds 13/2 with Coral – Free £10 bet.

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By Neil Macintosh