The FA Cup gets serious this weekend as the fifth round commences. With Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea knocked out, the remaining clubs have a better chance of winning the competition.
That should add plenty of gusto to a fixture list that promises great entertainment. We’ve scoured the market to find the three best bets and guide you towards an accumulator worth wagering on.
Selection 1: Marcus Rashford to have 1-plus shot on target from outside the box at 13/10
Aston Villa are overwhelming favourites to beat Championship outfit Cardiff City on Friday night, so unless bettors fancy an upset, there’s little value in wagering on this game’s results.
There’s a custom market available with Betfair on Marcus Rashford that could pique interest. He’s 13/10 to land a shot on target from outside the box. Not only does his career so far tell us he loves to let fly from a distance, but the fact he’s been handed free-kick duties at Villa may give him additional opportunities to line one up.
The 27-year-old had to make do with a substitute’s cameo during Villa’s midweek loss to Crystal Palace, which suggests Unai Emery is keeping him fresh and fit for cup action. He has made a strong start to his loan in claret and blue but is yet to score his first goal, so he’ll be desperate to get off the mark. There’s a good chance that he peppers Cardiff with shots — some of which will come from outside the box.
Selection 2: Over 2.5 goals in AFC Bournemouth vs Wolves at 6/10
These two sides met in a Premier League game earlier this month that was expected to be full of goals – but wasn’t. An early red card to centre-back Illya Zabarnyi forced the Cherries into a defensive shell, which brought the flow of the game to a halt and saw Wolves eke out a 1-0 win.
They’ll lock horns again this weekend, and the prospect of goals is once again enticing for bettors. Zabarnyi’s red card means he’s suspended for this game, so Andoni Iraola has just one senior centre-back to call upon in a defensive line that is understandably vulnerable. There’s some good news up front, though, as striker Evanilson’s return from injury bolsters their goalscoring capacity.
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Meanwhile, Wolves have the exact combination bettors look for when taking the over: a leaky defence (56 goals conceded in the league this season) and a star attacker, Matheus Cunha, who regularly conjures something from nothing.
Selection 3: Manchester City to score over 3.5 goals vs Plymouth Argyle at 11/10
Sorry, Plymouth. This bet flies in the face of the magic of the FA Cup, and is a shocking mismatch. The Pilgrims may have defeated Liverpool in the previous round, but they can’t call upon home comforts here, nor will they face a heavily weakened team.
The bookmakers have priced a Man City win at 1/250, underlining just how strong the expectation is that Pep Guardiola’s men get the job done here. The fact they beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in midweek will only have strengthened that sentiment.
Bettors can have fun attempting to guess the correct final score, but that’s difficult to get right and therefore very risky – and it’s certainly not the sort of thing you put in an accumulator, as it could spoil the overall selection. The individual player markets can also offer some value. For example, Omar Marmoush to take 3-plus shots is 2/1 – but there’s jeopardy there too, as there’s no guarantee he plays due to the intense fixture congestion.
Betting on City to score over 3.5 goals is effectively backing a big City win, which is attractive given it’s priced up at a shade better than evens.
Accumulator price: 7/1
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(Photo of Omar Marmoush: Carl Recine / Getty Images)
