The FA Cup third round is one of the highlights of the season. There are few days quite as famous in the football calendar. It’s the day we expect upsets and shocks around the country, the day where the lower league sides look to take their chance in the spotlight. Will 2017 start off with a famous result?
Of course, the TV schedule means that it’s third round day no longer. Instead we have four days of cup action, as the weekend is stretched out by live fixtures. Here we’ve looked at four live matches across all four days and picked out a betting tip on each. We’re hoping to see a high scoring third round weekend, with a shock or two thrown in for good measure.
Friday 6th January 2017
West Ham v Manchester City (19:55) – Manchester City to win and BTTS (11/5 with Bet365)
Things get under way on Friday night as the Olympic Stadium hosts an FA Cup game for the first time. The home side take on 2011 winners Manchester City, who are aiming to ease the pressure on boss Pep Guardiola. He’s not had the greatest of starts, and he’s not helping himself with some awkward interviews. Can he make a perfect start in his first ever game in this competition? He’ll surely be worried about his back four, given how often City have been conceding this term.
City have a really poor defensive record this season, which is something West Ham can take advantage of. The Citizens do tend to take the cups seriously though, so expect them to have a strong team out here. They’ve seen both sides score in 70% of games this term, while they have just two away clean sheets. If both sides scoring is a given, we think it’s worth backing the favourites and BTTS. They’ve got the second best away record this term in the league, while West Ham boast the 15th best home record. An away win and BTTS is 11/5 with Bet365.
Saturday 7th January 2017
Preston v Arsenal (17:30) – Arsenal -1 (Evens with Coral)
Saturday evening sees Arsenal travelling to Deepdale to take on Championship side Preston. The hosts are having a solid campaign in the second tier, and they aren’t that far off the play-off spots ahead of this clash. After a strong first half of the season, can they boost that with a shock win over Arsenal? The Gunners don’t tend to slip up against lower tier sides, so this is going to be a really difficult game for Preston. It’s easy to see why Sky Bet have made them 7/1 outsiders.
The Gunners may have struggled at Bournemouth, but can they bounce back with a result in the cup? This is a big competition for Arsenal now, as they already look to be out of the title race. They head in to this clash knowing that the FA Cup represents possibly their only real shot at silverware. They should have far too much quality for Preston, so we can see a big home win. They already average more than two goals per game in the top flight, so we can see them winning by a few at Deepdale. Arsenal with a -1 handicap is our tip, it’s priced at evens with Coral.
Sunday 8th January 2017
Tottenham v Aston Villa (16:00) – Tottenham to win to nil (11/10 with BetVictor)
Sunday’s game sees 2015 FA Cup finalists Aston Villa heading to Tottenham, can the Championship side cause a massive shock? Villa have made a mixed start after being relegated from the Premier League. They’re 12th in the table, despite having one of the league’s most expensive squads. Steve Bruce has steadied the ship, but they look like a side waiting for the new season. That could give them a chance of a cup run, but they’ve been handed a really tough start in the competition this season.
Villa are facing a Spurs side who are in strong scoring form, while they’ve got one of the best defensive records in the Premier League. This competition should be seen as an opportunity for Mauricio Pochettino, who is searching for a first trophy at White Hart Lane. In their final season at the Lane, they’ll want a few more cup games. It’s hard to see Tottenham having too many problems here. They’re up against a side who average just above a goal per game in the second tier. We think they’ll struggle against a tough Spurs defence, so we’re backing a home win to nil at 11/10 with BetVictor.
Monday 9th January 2017
Cambridge v Leeds (19:45) – Cambridge or Draw (4/5 with Bet365)
Monday’s game seeing a resurgent Leeds facing a tough trip to Cambridge. Gary Monk has inspired the side from Elland Road to push for the top flight. A place in the play-offs will be their big aim this term, so the FA Cup will certainly be taking a back seat. Expect a rotated side from Monk here, which could open the door to a potential shock. Leeds have just one win in their last four on the road, and they could struggle here if they’re fielding an under-strength side. Could the round’s biggest shock come in the final game of third round weekend?
We feel like Cambridge have a chance here, especially when you look at their recent form. They’re unbeaten in their last five, while they’ve won seven of their last nine. That includes a 4-0 win against League One Coventry in the last round. They’ve hit 13 goals in their last four at home, so the U’s have a great chance of pulling off an upset on Monday night. With Leeds unlikely to be at full strength, we’re backing a result for the hosts here. They’re 5/2 for the win with Betfair, but we’re backing Cambridge on the double chance market, which is 4/5 with Bet365.