The FA Cup 4th Round is here and there are plenty of intriguing ties to show that the magic of the cup is alive and well. The competition has already seen its fair share of upsets but, despite a few ties offering the potential for a giant-killing, the focus for these FA Cup weekend accumulator tips is on the home team favourites. Is it easy money or will we get a slap in the face?
Here are my picks for a 6-fold accumulator that covers the FA Cup action this weekend from matches taking place on Saturday and Sunday. Take a look to see if you agree with the FA Cup betting tips I make below.
FULHAM vs Sunderland (3pm GMT, Saturday)
In this modern age, there is a lot of criticism surrounding the approach a number of Premier League clubs adopt in the FA Cup. The teams fighting for European competition rotate personnel to keep their league form in tact. The sides down the bottom rest key players to ensure they have their strongest teams available for the relegation dog fight. Fulham are in a unique position where they are realistically safe from relegation this season but qualifying for Europe could be a stretch. A run in the FA Cup could provide a rare opportunity for silverware. Marco Silva’s side have narrowly lost back-to-back league games after winning 4 league matches in a row so a victory here would go down well. Sunderland have one eye on the play-offs in the Championship so you have to wonder if that will factor into Tony Mowbray’s team selection. Silva will be going all out to win this one and Aleksandar Mitrovic does love scoring against second tier opposition.
LUTON vs Grimsby (3pm GMT, Saturday)
It’s probably fair to say that Luton’s decision to appoint Rob Edwards as head coach to replace the outgoing Nathan Jones was a masterclass in recruitment. The Hatters have won 4 and lost 2 of their 6 league games since the appointment and it’s left the club fighting for contention amongst the play-offs places in the Championship. You get the feeling that with the right additions during the remaining days of the January transfer window could be crucial. The departure of right back James Bree to Southampton was countered by the arrival of full back Cody Drameh from Leeds on loan. You’d expect them to make light work of a Grimsby team managed by Paul Hurst that are milling around in the lower reaches of League Two and have lost 5 of their last 6 away games in all competitions.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY vs Fleetwood Town (3pm GMT, Saturday)
Two teams from League One go head-to-head in this one. The only trouble being that they’re experiencing contrasting campaigns with Sheffield Wednesday firmly locked in a battle for automatic promotion and Fleetwood Town are in danger of getting sucked into a relegation scrap. Darren Moore deserves all the praise in the world for turning the Owls into the side they are now. It’s 20 games without defeat during regulation time for the Yorkshire club and they will be full of confidence after knocking out Newcastle at home in the last round. The Fishermen are struggling for form under manager Scott Brown but they did beat Championship opposition in QPR in the 3rd Round. That win did come at home though and this will be a much tougher proposition on the road which I just can’t see them pulling off.
SOUTHAMPTON vs Blackpool (3pm GMT, Saturday)
Coastal towns from the south and north go toe-to-toe in this encounter as Premier League club Southampton will be looking to bounce back after back-to-back 1-0 losses in the league versus Aston Villa and in their EFL Cup Semi-Final first leg against Newcastle. Championship strugglers Blackpool will come into this game with new manager Mick McCarthy taking charge of his first competitive game at the club. The professional part of me should analyse this with a balanced view. The bitter Cardiff City fan in me wants McCarthy to fail miserably because I still suffer from PTSD after he played five centre backs at once when he managed us. In all seriousness, Nathan Jones is starting to show signs of turning things around at the Saints and I think they should breeze this one, even if he decides to rotate. Simply because the Seasiders aren’t very impressive this season and could well be playing League One football next season.
MANCHESTER UNITED vs Reading (8pm GMT, Saturday)
Paul Ince makes a return to the place where he enjoyed his best years as a player. “The Guvnor” will be hoping his Reading team can put their ailing Championship form to one side and spring a shock in the back yard of their hosts Manchester United. There is no denying that the Red Devils look a very difficult proposition for any team under Erik ten Hag. It seems likely that the Dutchman will rotate players but there is a feeling that no matter who starts for United right now there is a level of expectation and quality instilled by ten Hag that demands all his players to play to their hardest work rate. I’m still not sold on Ince as a manager and I can’t see the Royals improving greatly any time soon. United should make light work of this one.
STOKE vs Stevenage (2pm GMT, Sunday)
The final selection for this 6-fold accumulator is arguably the least convincing one. You don’t need to look far to read articles criticising the ownership hierarchy at Stoke with the fans becoming disgruntled at the way the club is being run. The Potters are in 18th place in the Championship and the general feeling is that if Alex Neil can’t get this squad firing then who can? On the flip side, Stevenage are in an intense fight for the title in League Two under the management of Steve Evans. The Boro knocked out Premier League club Aston Villa at Villa Park in the last round and have only suffered 1 loss from their last 9 away games in all competitions. I needed one game to boost the odds though and I still think this Stoke team is very tough to beat under Neil so fancy them to get the job done against Stevenage.
6-Fold Bet @ 9/1 with Bet365
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