After the FA Cup third round kicked off last weekend, we quickly have more games from the world’s oldest cup, with the third round replays to come in midweek. There are a total of seven replays to be settled before the fourth round comes around later this month, and they all look like tough games to call. With a couple of sides from the Premier League all the way down to League One involved, we’ve got a wide range clubs included.
The two live TV games are West Ham at home to Everton in an all Premier League clash, while the BBC have Championship high flyers Ipswich at home to Southampton. Including both of those games, we’ve got previews of four of the third round replays for you here, with a betting tip for each game.
Tuesday 13th January 2015
West Ham v Everton (19:45) – West Ham to win (11/8 with BetVictor)
Everton were crashing out at Goodison Park until Romelu Lukaku struck a late equaliser to secure themselves a replay. They weren’t great in front of their own fans, and after a poor run of recent form during a season in which they’ve really underperformed, it’s hard to see them taking much out of this replay. They have an FA Cup winning manager, but he’s having a number of problems at the club after a good season last year, and their FA Cup place might be lost because of that.
As for West Ham, they’re in contention for Europe this season, proving wrong all the doubters who thought they’d struggle this term. They aren’t far off the top four, and they could well end up with a European place at the end of this season. That might put Sam Allardyce off taking the FA Cup seriously, but they’re playing so well that they can afford to take a chance in the cup. At huge odds of 11/8, backing West Ham here is an absolute must.
Bristol City v Doncaster (19:45) – Bristol City to win (5/6 with BetVictor)
Also on Tuesday night is the clash between two League One sides, as Bristol City host Doncaster. While it’s not the most high profile of the Tuesday night games, there does seem to be a bit of value in this one. The two sides are having very different seasons: Doncaster are currently slumped in the bottom half of the table, despite being one of the early season favourites to bounce back to the Championship. Having lost just two of their last 10 matches, things are starting to look up for them, however.
Bristol City, on the other hand, are second in the table, level on points with Swindon with a game in hand. They’ve been excellent so far this season, and they’re looking to build on that and make the step up to the Championship. As well as that, they have a fantastic chance to make it in to the fourth round of the FA Cup here. The winner of this will face the winner of the West Ham v Everton tie at home next up, and that could well be Bristol City. Given their 18 point advantage over Doncaster, they are favourites to go through here and at odds of 5/6, they’re certainly worth backing.
Wednesday 14th January 2015
Ipswich v Southampton (19:45) – Ipswich to win (16/5 with Betfred)
Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich are in a great position for promotion to the Premier League, currently sitting in second place in the Championship, just a point behind leaders Bournemouth. They’re also in with a chance of making the fourth round of the cup, given that they’re in fantastic form. They face some difficult opposition, but Portman Road is going to be a tough place for Southampton to visit as Ipswich have won their last five games at home, and are currently on a 10 game unbeaten run there.
The victors here will have a home game against Crystal Palace, and it is difficult to pick a winner in all honesty. While Southampton are doing well in the Premier League, they’ve just had a punishing schedule in the league, had a long cup run already this season and now they face an FA Cup replay. Ronald Koeman was complaining about the effects of this on his side weeks ago, so they must be struggling now. With Ipswich very generously priced coming into this game, they’re worth backing to cause the shock of the replays.
Tottenham v Burnley (19:45) – Tottenham to win and both teams to score (2/1 with BetVictor)
Spurs were in fantastic form before they went to Turf Moor to take on Burnley, and they were seen as big favourites for that tie. They could only manage a 1-1 draw in that game however, and both sides will be looking for better here. Spurs come in as heavy favourites for the win, but neither side is likely to pick a full strength team, with Premier League points a much higher priority for both coaches. Despite that, we should still see a game between two sides who like a passing game and play with an attacking style.
The reward for the winners is another winnable game in the next round, at home to Leicester. Either side would fancy themselves to progress to the fifth round after that, so there’s quite a bit to play for here. Both sides have been playing some great stuff going forward in recent weeks, and they look full of confidence, but there are certainly question marks over the defending of both sides. They aren’t considered solid at the back, and they’re likely to ship goals. That should really suit Spurs, as you can’t see Burnley coming here and frustrating them. It’s likely we’re going to see goals in this one, which makes a home win and both teams to score our top betting tip.