FA Cup 3rd Round Betting Tips: The Bankers

5Jan 2013

FA Cup

Jaymes Monte picks out five banker bets from this weekend's FA Cup 3rd round clashes...

Blackburn 1.76 v Bristol City 5.3; The Draw 4.0

Back-to-back wins over Barnsley and Nottingham Forest - the club's first consecutive league victories since October - has seen Blackburn's board announce that caretaker duo Gary Bowyer and Terry McPhillips will stay in charge until the end of January at least.

Six goals in two games suggest that Bowyer and McPhillips are hitting the right note with their players and they can continue their impressive run against Bristol City this weekend. While the interim bosses will have no concern for resting players, Derek McInnes must consider his options as The Robins face up to the reality of a relegation battle.

Rovers have already beaten this weekend's opponents once this season - 5-3 at Ashton Gate - and are a good bet at 1.76 to oblige once again back on home turf.

Macclesfield 5.9 v Cardiff 1.68; The Draw 4.1

There'll be few at the Cardiff City Stadium willing to admit it, but the Bluebirds' seemingly eternal quest to reach the Premier League looks set to end at the end of this season. Past the halfway point and Malky Mackay's men have a seven-point lead at the top of the nPower Championship and come into this one having lost just one of their last 11.

Macclesfield, by contrast, have won only two of their last 11 matches in the Blue Square Premier, FA Trophy and FA Cup combined and look to be consigned to a mid-table finish this season.

Cardiff have won 11 and drawn three of their last of their last 14 FA Cup games against lower ranked sides, and have not lost against a team from a lower league since 1995, when they were eliminated by Enfield. Back the club from the Welsh capital with confidence at odds of 1.68.

Hull 1.5 v Leyton Orient 8.4; The Draw 4.7

Unbeaten in eight and without conceding in their last three Hull have moved into an automatic promotion position in the Championship. Their home form has been particularly impressive, losing just once at the KC Stadium since October 2.

Steve Bruce's men welcome Leyton Orient to Humberside this weekend and look a solid bet at odds of 1.5. The O's had pulled themselves clear of the League One relegation zone with eight consecutive victories throughout November and early December, but have now lost two of their last three, including a 3-0 defeat at Yeovil on New Year's Day, and I don't see them causing The Tigers too many problems.

Fulham 1.71 v Blackpool 5.6; The Draw 4.1

Fulham's patchy league form may be of some concern, but they got back to winning ways at The Hawthorns in midweek and have an uncanny knack of getting the job done at this stage of the FA Cup.

The Cottagers have have lost just one of their last 15 matches in the FA Cup third round (W9 D5 L1) and have won their last four in a row, while Blackpool have progressed past the third round just twice in their last 13 appearances at this stage of the FA Cup.

Odds of 1.71 look to be more than fair about a home win for the Premier League outfit.

Cheltenham 10.5 v Everton 1.36; The Draw 5.5

Everton's main focus may be to finish in the top four in the Premier League this season, but expect them to get the job done here with relatively little fuss. There's a feel-good factor amid The Toffees' ranks at the moment and regardless of whether David Moyes opts to make a few changes, they can continue their good form here.

Everton have won three and lost none of their last five FA Cup games on the road, and only once since 1912 have the Merseyside club been eliminated by a team from the fourth tier or below. Odds of 1.36 on an away win are an absolute shoo-in.

Suggested Bets:

Back Blackburn to win @ 1.76

Back Cardiff to win @ 1.68

Back Hull to win @ 1.5

Back Fulham to win @ 1.71

Back Everton to win @ 1.36

Fivefold pays @ 7.96