While January’s action doesn’t quite match up to the festive fixtures we saw last month, there’s still a lot going on in midweek. With the FA Cup now fully underway, with Premier League and Championship sides back in the pot, we’ve reached the third round replays. The opening cup games of the year weren’t that entertaining, but will we get more interesting action in the reverse fixtures?
Well, smaller sides who held on for draws last time have now been handed a huge financial boost, so they have a little more licence to attack here. They don’t have to worry about playing for a draw, they have nothing to lose by pushing forward and looking to cause a shock. That’s why we’re expecting goals in midweek, and we’ve picked out a few replays which we think will see both teams find the net. Scroll down to check out our latest BTTS tips, which are a great way to boost your midweek acca.
Tuesday 17th January 2017
- Lincoln v Ipswich (8/13 with Coral) – Ipswich have an awful third round record, going out at this stage every year since 2011. That gives Lincoln a chance at home, but they face a big step up against Championship opposition. That has us backing BTTS here, after an entertaining 2-2 draw last time out.
- Burnley v Sunderland (4/6 with Sky Bet) – Their recent league meeting here finished 4-1 to Burnley, and with two rotated defences on show there could be even more goals here.
- AFC Wimbledon v Sutton United (10/11 with Bet365) – Sutton claimed a draw at home to Wimbledon, but now they have nothing to lose they can go out and attack at Kingsmeadow. We can see them scoring, but expect the Dons to make the gulf between them apparent.
- Fleetwood v Bristol City (4/6 with Ladbrokes) – Fleetwood have scored in 96% of games so far, while Bristol City have seen BTTS in 60% of their games. That has us backing BTTS here.
Wednesday 18th January 2017
- Plymouth v Liverpool (20/23 with BetVictor) – Plymouth are facing a young Liverpool side, something they’ve known since about 10 minutes after their draw at Anfield. Expect them to push forward now they know what they’re up against, especially in a midweek tie at home.
- Newcastle v Birmingham (5/6 with Sky Bet) – Newcastle won’t be focusing on the cup this season, they’ll be aiming to make a quick return to the Premier League. We’re backing them to rotate here, which gives Birmingham an opportunity to score at St James’ in what could be quite an open game.
- Southampton v Norwich (8/11 with Betfred) – Southampton are clearly putting the EFL Cup ahead of the FA Cup, since they’re 90 minutes from a Wembley final. After a 2-2 draw here in their first meeting, we expect more goals this time around. That will be especially the case if the Saints rotate their defence ahead of a huge trip to Anfield.