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Blackpool, Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City & Leicester City fought out two very tough, competitive Semi Final 1st leg matches & everything still looks in the balance with anything still possible.

Blackpool take a 2-1 lead to Nottingham Forest for the 2nd leg & Cardiff City take a 1-0 lead back to Cardiff & all four teams still have everything to play for & all 4 teams will believe they can reach the Final.

The 2nd leg matches look certain to be high pressure, intensely competitive matches that should provide great excitement & drama and we have had a good look at the games with our value betting recommendations that we think are worth consideration.

Nottingham Forest vs Blackpool – (Tuesday 7.45pm)

This tie is fascinatingly poised as Blackpool travel to take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground holding a 2-1 advantage & this 2nd leg looks set to be an absolute cracker.

The first point of call is the fact that Nottingham Forest have to win the game so that will dictate their approach to the match but having a home record that reads 18 wins, 2 draws & only 3 defeats should give them massive confidence.

Billy Davies has done a great job with Nottingham Forest & the key element in that is the remarkable home record which means Nottingham Forest go into home games believing they will beat whoever they are playing & we expect the same here.

Billy Davies would have been concerned by the manner of the 2 Blackpool goals but Notttingham Forest’s home defensive record is very impressive & that solid base combined with the excellent quality in attack does give Nottingham Forest an excellent chance to get the win they need.

Blackpool know they face a tough task at Nottingham Forest but Ian Holloway has been fantastic ever since taking over at Blackpool & if anybody can guide Blackpool to success it will be him & he will believe Blackpool can go to Nottingham Forest and get the positive result they need to reach the final.

Blackpool’s away record is not all that impressive & they have conceded goals in the majority of their away games so that must be a concern although Blackpool did achieve a win & a clean sheet when these two sides met here in the League & that should give the Blackpool players a confidence boost.

The first leg was an excellent game of entertaining football & we certainly expect more of the same here so it’s hard to call but Nottingham Forest home record is incredibly impressive & we are going to side with Nottingham Forest to get yet another home win & they certainly look fairly priced to do so.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Nottingham Forest win

Correct Score Options: Nottingham Forest win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Blackstock/Anderson/Tyson

Scorecast options: Blackstock/Anderson/Tyson score 1st & Nottingham Forest win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Nottingham Forest H/T & F/T

Cardiff City vs Leicester City – (Wednesday 7.45pm)

Peter Whittingham’s winner from the 1st leg gives Cardiff City a vital 1-0 lead to take into this 2nd leg but the tie is far from over & we fully expect Leicester City to give everything so this should be a really good match to watch.

Cardiff City & Leicester City both look to play positive, attacking football so we are expecting a decent, open game as the best policy for Cardiff City will be to attack & try to score more goals while Leicester City know they have to score goals & win the game to have any chance.

Cardiff City have been strong at home all season so will be confident they can be positive & get the result they require while Leicester City have a mixed away record but are certainly capable of going to Cardiff City and getting the win so it really is a tough game to call.

These two sides have played each other 3 times this season & the margin has only been 1 goal on each occasion with 1-0 & 2-1 victories for Cardiff City & 1-0 win for Leicester City so that proves how close the games have been & how tight this will be & especially with all the added pressure.

With 2 well matched teams & given what is at stake it’s a really tight call with a low scoring draw a really tempting option but we feel Cardiff City have the edge from the 1st leg & importantly home advantage which could be vital & Cardiff City do look worth a bet to edge another tight win on the night.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Cardiff City to win

Correct Score Options: Cardiff City to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Bothroyd/Whittingham/Chopra

Scorecast options: Bothroyd/Whittingham/Chopra score 1st & Cardiff City 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Cardiff City H/T & F/T

Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City, Blackpool Town & Leicester City have all earned their places in the Play-Offs and now the time has come for one of those 4 sides to prove they can handle the pressure, the expectations & show that deserve to earn the final spot in the Premier League for next season.
All the Play-Off matches are always intense, high pressure occasions & particularly the Championship Play-Offs because a place in the Premier League guarantees a side millions of pounds in revenue & the chance to test themselves against the very best teams in the country and absolutely everything is at stake over the next few weeks.

We have had a good look at the set-up of both Championship Play-Off Semi Final 1st leg matches & here are our previews of the games with value betting recommendations we feel are worth consideration:

Blackpool vs Nottingham Forest – (Saturday 12.45pm)

9 points separated 3rd place Nottingham Forest & 6th place in the final Championship League table but the teams line-up for this Playoff Semi Final 1st leg with an equal chance of getting to the final & these two sides do look set to produce a really close battle.

Blackpool built their season on fantastic home form with 13 wins & 6 draws from 23 matches and indeed they go into this home leg with massive confidence given their fantastic end of season form.

Blackpool lost only 1 of their last 9 Championship matches & their victories included a resounding 3-1 home victory over Nottingham Forest so that should give them massive belief & certainly every reason to have great confidence of getting a positive result here.

Ian Holloway is a fantastically positive manager & he will certainly have spent all the preparation time for this match building up the belief & confidence of the Blackpool players & he will know that their best chance of getting through this Semi Final tie is to get a good home win first to take an advantage into the 2nd leg.

Billy Davies will be frustrated Nottingham Forest did not achieve automatic promotion after looking rock solid candidates to do so earlier in the season but the main thing is Nottingham Forest have a chance of promotion & indeed they are probably the team to beat in the Play-offs given their quality.

The Nottingham Forest players will be pumped up for this match & determined to put right what went badly wrong against Blackpool when they were beaten 3-1 a few weeks ago & Nottingham Forest will believe they have the talent to get a good positive result from this one.

Nottingham Forest’s away form was terrible in the latter part of the season but they were incredibly strong away from home in the early parts of the season & the fact they achieved 11 draws away from shows how tough they when playing away & we expect the same here.

This is a fascinating game to call because Blackpool & Nottingham Forest both have positive to recommended backing them & it is going to be fiercely competitive so it’s a tight call but we feel the real value lies in backing a scoring draw which will set things up perfectly for the 2nd leg.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score optionS: 1-1/2-2

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Adam/Blackstock/Earnshaw

Scorecast options: Adam/Blackstock/Earnshaw score 1st & 1-1/2-2

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

Leicester City vs Cardiff City – (Sunday 1.15pm)

A goal difference of only 3 goals was all that split these two strong sides at the end of the regulation season in the Championship as Leicester City & Cardiff City finished level on points & this Semi Final certainly looks a hard one to call with real confidence.

Leicester City have done fantastically well to get into the playoffs & manager Nigel Pearson deserves all the credit going for achieving it with a relatively thing squad in such a competitive league.

Leicester City are desperate to get back into the Premier League & indeed their best chance to do lies in getting a good, solid result & preferably a good win in this first leg at home so we are expecting Leicester City to be really positive but clearly they face a very tough test against Cardiff City.

Dave Jones again deserves huge credit for the great job he has done at Cardiff City & the way he has handled the club despite all the major financial, off field concerns & especially for getting Cardiff City into the playoffs after missing out so narrowly last season.

The fact Cardiff City have achieved a place in the playoffs again after suffering that major disappointment last season illustrates the character & indeed the quality within the Cardiff City squad and they will definitely believe they can earn their place in the Premier League.

Cardiff City are a hard side to play against because they provide a really good mix of competitive team spirit & an excellent level of quality with their attacking unit probably the best in the Championship with the likes of Bothroyd, Chopra & Whittingham all massive goal threats & they could well be the key to this tie & to Cardiff’s bid for playoff glory.

Leicester City & Cardiff City have already played each three times this season with 2 wins for Cardiff City & 1 win for Leicester City with home advantage the key each time so that could be important again but it really is a tough game to call.

We are expecting a good, competitive battle with a good mix of good football & indeed physical power and it was really tempting to go for a competitive, scoring draw but on balance we feel Cardiff City have the extra quality in attack & that makes them a value bet to get a vital away win here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Cardiff City to win

Correct Score options: Cardiff City to win 2-1/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Bothroyd/Whittingham/Chopra

Scorecast options: Bothroyd/Whittingham/Chopra score 1st & Cardiff City win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Cardiff City H/T & F/T

Last years’ eight ties produced:

2 home wins

4 draws

2 away wins

Coventry produced the only ‘shock’ of the round when beating Blackburn.

26 goals were scored in the 8 matches = 3.25 per game

Every team except Burnley (at Arsenal) scored at least one goal

Home teams won all four replays

Teams involved this year that contested the 5th round last year:

Chelsea (beat Watford twelve months ago)

Fulham (beat Swansea after a replay)

Aston Villa (lost at Everton)

Derby (beaten by Man Utd at home)

The dream of a Wembley Cup Final draws ever closer this weekend as the F.A. Cup 5th round ties take place & there are certainly plenty of fascinating games to get stuck into.
Every one of the eight 5th round ties has a fascinating story or twist to it & after having a good look at those matches, here are views on each game & the value betting options we feel are worth consideration:

Chelsea vs Cardiff City – (Saturday 12.00pm)

This should be a fantastic cup tie with the prospects of Chelsea & Cardiff going into battle on the pitch & an atmosphere to match.

Chelsea are strong favourites for this match & deservedly so when you compare the relative strengths of each squad & Chelsea’s formidable home record commands massive respect but we still expect Cardiff City to go there & have a real go.

Carlo Ancelotti will make changes to the Chelsea squad with John Terry missing & Ashley Cole out injured so with Chelsea’s clear targets to win the Premier League & Champions League it will be fascinating to see exactly what team Chelsea play.

The big bonus for Chelsea is that they don’t have a midweek fixture next week so we still expect Ancelotti to field a very strong side with the likes of Drogba, Anelka & Lampard likely to want to play.

Cardiff City’s main aim for this season is promotion to the Premier League but Dave Jones is a very proud man who will want to make sure Cardiff City give it their best shot & on their best form they have a chance to cause to Chelsea real problems.

Cardiff City are a decent side on their best form with Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra, Peter Whittingham & Chris Burke all capable of causing problems for Chelsea & Cardiff’s best chance of success in this match will be to take the game to Chelsea & put pressure on their defence.

This looks a proper cup tie & we are expecting it to be competitive & physically intense with Cardiff City likely to have a real go but Chelsea are so strong at home & have so much quality in their squad that they are impossible to oppose & look a solid bet to win this.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Chelsea to win

Correct Score Options: Chelsea to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Drogba/Anelka/Lampard

Scorecast options: Drogba/Anelka/Lampard score 1st & Chelsea win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Chelsea H/T & F/T

Derby County vs Birmingham City – (Saturday 3.00pm)

Another Premier League versus Championship battle here with a rejuvenated Derby County welcoming Birmingham City to Pride Park for what looks set to be a good, competitive battle.

A few weeks ago, Derby manager Nigel Clough would have probably said the last thing Derby wanted was to play Birmingham City as Derby were struggling badly for form & confidence but all that has changed in recent weeks.

Three excellent performances to beat high flying Nottingham Forest & Newcastle United at home and to draw away at Sheffield United have given the Derby County squad a massive lift in belief & confidence which they are now bound to take into this game.

Derby County always do get fantastic support & the fact their form has returned should mean there will be a fantastic atmosphere inside Pride Park & we expect Derby County to have a real go at this.

The added spice to this match is the fact Derby County captain Robbie Savage is taking on his former team & he is bound to be fully charged up for this clash which is certain to get physical.

Alex McCleish brings his Birmingham City side to Derby County having suffered a blip in form after what was a sensational unbeaten run so it will be very interesting to see how Birmingham City react here.

Birmingham City were surprisingly poor in their 2-0 away defeat at West Ham United & Alex McCleish will want to make sure that Birmingham City bounce back from that & take this game very seriously indeed.

The key for Birmingham City will be get control of the game by keeping it defensively solid which is their real strength & then look to the likes of Jerome, Bowyer & McFadden to create the quality & goals.

The cup tie element certainly makes this tough to call & we have massive respect for Derby at home having beaten Newcastle United & Nottinhgam Forest recently but Birmingham City are a better, stronger team & they look worth a bet to edge this on the day.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Birmingham City to win

Correct Score Options: Birmingham City to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Jerome/McFadden/Benitez

Scorecast options: Jerome/McFadden/Benitez score 1st & Birmingham City win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Birmingham City H/T & F/T

Reading vs West Brom – (Saturday 3.00pm)

All Championship clash here with Reading welcoming West Brom to what should be a cracking, competitive game of football.

The F.A. Cup is not a priority for either Reading of West Brom with Reading fighting to improve & move away from the relegation zone & West Brom intent on getting promoted to the Premier League but we expect all thoughts of the league to be put to one side here.

Reading have already made their mark on the F.A. Cup this season with famous wins over Liverpool & Burnley and the prospect of another home tie will give them the belief they can progress further.

Indeed the F.A. Cup form seems to have pushed Reading to improve their allround performances & results and they now look a decent, confident side with a determination to win so we are expecting a decent, attacking performance from Reading here.

West Brom come into this match on an excellent run of form which has helped to take them back to the top of the Championship so we expect them to arrive here confident & ready to go for the win.

West Brom manager Roberto Di Matteo has a special affinity with the F.A. Cup having scored in the Final itself & we do expect West Brom to be totally up for this one & they will believe they can go to Reading and win.

This should be a really entertaining match as both Reading & West Brom like to play positive, attacking football & neither manager will want a replay so we expect both teams to go for it which should give West Brom the chance to make their extra quality pay & they look well worth a bet to win this tie.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: West Brom to win

Correct Score Options: West Brom to win 2-1/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Brunt/Dorrans/Bednar

Scorecast options: Brunt/Dorrans/Bednar score 1st & West Brom win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: West Brom H/T & F/T

Southampton vs Portsmouth – (Saturday 12.30pm)

The people of Southampton & Portsmouth have been waiting for this ever since the 5th round draw took place & this really should be a cracking match.

The football world has got Real Madrid vs Barcelona, Man City vs Man United, Inter vs AC Milan & even Celtic vs Rangers, but to those connected to Southampton & Portsmouth this is the big match for them.

Southampton & Portsmouth have both suffered in recent years with massive off the field financial problems & obviously Portsmouth’s very own existence hangs by a thread but that will be forgotten for 90 minutes as these two do battle.

If you look the basic facts of relative league positions first then Southampton in League 1 taking on Portsmouth from the Premier League looks like a one sided battle but current status doesn’t count for anything here & it really is a level playing field with everything to play for.

Alan Pardew has done a tremendous job since taking over as Southampton manager guiding his team to overcome a points deficit to push Southampton up the table & in general looking like a very good side at that level.

Southampton have already proven their cup pedigree this season as they are already proudly through to the Johnson’s Paint Trophy Final & this home tie against local rivals Portsmouth is another fantastic opportunitiy so we expect Southampton to have a real go.

Southampton play very good, attacking football and with the likes of Lambert, Lallana, Waigo + many other attacked minded players in their side they definitely have the ability to cause Portsmouth problems & score goals.

Avram Grant, the Portsmouth players & indeed everybody connected to Portsmouth don’t even know if Portsmouth will be around for the next round if they make it through which is obviously a massive problem but Portsmouth have shown real fight in recent weeks & we expect more of the same here.

Portsmouth look absolutely certain to get relegated from the Premier League & really their season cannot get any worse than it already has with the clubs existence at stake but nevertheless defeat against Southampton is something the players will want to do their best to avoid & they will be up for this one.

The atmosphere for this one is going to be fantastic & hopefully both teams will see the match as a welcome distraction from the league & really have a go and the chances are they will so there could well be a few goals flying about & we like the look of Southampton being inspired by their home crowd to deliver a famous win here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Southampton to win

Correct Score Options: Southampton to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Lallana/Lambert/Waigo

Scorecast options: Lallana/Lambert/Waigo score 1st & Southampton win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Southampton H/T & F/T

Manchester City vs Stoke City – (Saturday 5.30pm)

A clash of footballing styles makes this all Premier league contest a fascinating one to call & should have plenty to offer.

Roberto Mancini’s welcome to the Premier League was a home game against Stoke City & so he will already know what to expect from Tony Pulis’s side here.

Manchester City won that game comfortably & admittedly Stoke City were nowhere near their best that day but their style of play would have not been lost on him & he will know this is not going to be easy for Man City.

Roberto Mancini is under pressure to deliver success at Manchester City & while progress in the Premier League & Champions League is the ultimate long range target, success of any kind is necessary & this seasons F.A. Cup represents a fantastic opportunity for Man City to achieve that.

The key for Manchester City coming into this match is that their home form is tremendously strong & that will give them the belief & confidence to continue that here.

Tevez, Adebayor, Bellamy, Ireland, Barry, Wright-Phillips, Petrov etc give Man City more than enough attacking quality to go for the win here but the one area Manchester City have to keep their focus & concentration on his organisation in defence & particularly at set pieces because that will certainly be Stoke City’s biggest threat.

Tony Pulis has one clear aim for Stoke City this season & that is to remain a Premier League side but he is an incredibly proud & determined manager who will the see the chance to have a good cup run as a bonus.

Tactically there are no secrets about the way Stoke City play and quite simply what they do, they do it very well & effectively.

Strong physical presence, hard work, determination, direct football mixed with good football & a real threat from set-pieces are Stoke City’s key strengths & that is what we expect to see from them here.

Tony Pulis knows that Stoke City have not got the players to outplay Man City in terms of flowing, passing football but equally he knows Stoke City’s prowess from set-pieces is a massive threat to Man City’s fragile defence and offers them their best chance of scoring.

The major negative for Stoke City is that their away form is very poor with an inability to score enough goals away from home their major weakness & that could well be a problem in this match.

This should be a very interesting game & Stoke City will set out to make it tough for Manchester City & it is certainly going to be competitive but Manchester City are very strong at home & they do look a good bet to make their extra quality pay here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Manchester City to win

Correct Score Options: Manchester City to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Tevez/Adebayor/Barry

Scorecast options: Tevez/Adebayor/Barry score 1st & Man City win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Man City H/T & F/T

Bolton vs Tottenham – (Sunday 1.30pm)

Another all Premier League tie between Bolton & Tottenham who both have more important targets to achieve but this should still be a cracking match.

Owen Coyle is desperate to keep Bolton in the Premier League & that is clearly his number one target for Bolton but he is a strongly believer in taking every game seriously & that is what we expect from Bolton here.

Owen Coyle made his name at Burnley by making them a very successful side in cup competitions & we are expecting Owen Coyle to set Bolton up to be really positive & go for the win here.

The negatives for Bolton is that their home form has been poor & they have also struggled to score goals consistently and that clearly makes it much tougher to win matches.

The positive for Bolton is that they do have a good home record against Tottenham & that should boost their confidence.

Harry Redknapp knows that 4th place in the Premier League is Tottenham’s ultimate target for this season but their only chance of success lies in the F.A. Cup & we do expect Tottenham to have a real go here.

Harry Redknapp was incredibly frustrated & disappointed after Tottenham’s incredibly poor display in losing 1-0 at Wolves in midweek & so the Tottenham players will be under great pressure to put that right with a good performance because Harry Redknapp will not tolerate that again.

Tottenham were so disappointing & flat against Wolves it was hard to believe & the key to this match will how the Tottenham players respond here.

We are expecting the Tottenham players to respond in the right way here & with the likes of Defoe, Crouch, Modric, Krancjar & now Gudjohnsen they have the attacking quality to get the goals they need to win this.

This is a tough match to call with it likely to be very competitive & any result is possible but we are going to give Tottenham a chance to show their true quality and they look a value bet to just edge this on the day.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Tottenham to win

Correct Score Options: Tottenham to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Defoe/Crouch/Krancjar

Scorecast options: Defoe/Crouch/Krancjar score 1st & Tottenham win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Tottenham H/T & F/T

Fulham vs Notts County – (Sunday 3.00pm)

This is what the F.A. Cup is all about with League 2 side Notts County travelling to Premier League Fulham in what should be a fascinating contest.

Roy Hodgson will see this as a fantastic opportunity for Fulham to progress to an F.A. Cup final while Notts County come here boosted by beating Premier League side Wigan in the last round so the game should offer plenty.

Fulham are an absolutely rock solid side at home with their proven formula of solid, organised defending, balanced, passing football which makes it incredibly hard for teams to break them down & we do expect more of the same from Fulham here.

Roy Hodgson will have great respect for Notts County & the threat they carry but he knows his side are very strong at home & he will have great belief that his side will prove too strong for Notts County here.

Fulham did go through a bad patch of form but that has gone now after 3 good results in which they have won 2 & drawn 1 without conceding a goal so the confidence levels within the Fulham squad will be high.

Notts County produced the performance of the last round to outplay Premier League side Wigan twice at home in the 2-2 draw & in their 2-0 away victory which was totally deserved.

That deserved win over Wigan should give Notts County the confidence to go Fulham & have a go but clearly breaking a strong Fulham side down will be much tougher than an inconsistent, weak looking Wigan side.

The cup tie element definitely levels the playing fields somewhat & Notts County will go to Fulham positive but in terms of a result we cannot oppose Fulham here who look a rock solid bet to win this & earn their place in the quarter finals.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Fulham to win

Correct Score Options: Fulham to win 2-0/3-0

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Murphy/Zamora/Duff

Scorecast options: Murphy/Zamora/Duff score 1st & Fulham win 2-0/3-0

Double Result: Fulham H/T & F/T

Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa – (Sunday 3.45pm)

Neil Warnock at Crystal Palace & Martin O’Neill are two of the most experienced & indeed interesting characters in football so this should be a really fascinating Championship vs Premier League cup tie.

As with all the F.A. Cup ties taking place this weekend, both Crystal Palace & Aston Villa have much more important end of season targets to aim for that success in the F.A. Cup but Neil Warnock & Martin O’Neill are very proud managers who will both put all that to one side & certainly look to win this on the day.

Crystal Palace are involved in a tough struggle off the pitch having been forced into adminstration & the future of the club is at risk but to the great credit of the players, it does not seem to have affected their play in a negative way & if anything it seems to have improved the spirit of the Crystal Palace squad.

Neil Warnock is a vastly experienced manager & is particularly good at motivating teams when situations are against them & clearly his motivational skills are being tested to the full at present but he is a real fighter & that is replicated within his players.

Crystal Palace have been playing really well lately & most notably when comfortably beating Premier League Wolves in the last round so that should give them the confidence to go into this game & have a real go at Aston Villa.

Martin O’Neill’s chief target for this season is to finish 4th in the Premier League but having already taken Aston Villa to the League Cup Final & with a proven record of success in cups, he will certainly be looking for Aston Villa to have a real go at winning the F.A. Cup as well.

Martin O’Neill will have great respect for the threat Crystal Palace pose at home but equally he knows this match represents a fantastic chance for Aston Villa to progress & we are expecting a really positive performance from Aston Villa here.

The key element to this game is that Crystal Palace will want to have a real go at this game for their home fans & to show they can compete so that should suit Aston Villa’s style of counter attacking play and that could ultimately decide the match.

The F.A. Cup is made for ties like this & it should be a really good, competitive contest with Crystal Palace sure to have a go but Aston Villa have a clear advantage in terms of quality in all departments & their superior attacking quality & pace makes them look a rock solid bet to win this & progress to the quarter finals.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Aston Villa to win

Correct Score Options: Aston Villa to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Agbonlohar/Downing/Milner

Scorecast options: Agbonlohar/Downing/Milner score 1st & Aston Villa win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Aston Villa H/T & F/T

As we all know the weather has played it’s part in causing havoc with the football fixture list & that includes the F.A. Cup with several 3rd round ties unable to be played at the first time of asking.
Obviously the weather situation has not improved but hopefully will do in time for these matches to be played this week & here are our views on the games that caught our eye & the value betting options we feel are worth consideration.

Notts County vs Forest Green – (3rd Round tie, Tuesday 7.45pm)

Now this F.A. Cup tie might not grab the attention of too many people outside of either Notts County or Forest Green but it certainly caught our eye as a fascinating F.A. Cup tie that offers a great deal of interest & should be a good game to watch.

This season has already seen great drama both on & off the pitch at Notts County with the whole Sven Goran Eriksson scenario, new, mysterious owners buying the club & supposedly pumping millions in & now of course a new management buyout with the club having to deal with serious financial issues so this F.A. Cup 3rd round tie should prove to be a welcome distraction.

Notts County are having a good season in League 2 & while they may not have met the high expectations that came with the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson, the facts are Notts County have done well this season & are indeed dangerous opponents for most teams on their best form.

Like we said, this F.A. Cup tie is a distraction from the pressures of the trying to achieve promotion in the league & we are expecting Notts County to be committed to showing their quality & to have a real go at winning this game in style with goals.

Notts County have been very strong at home this season & certainly have scored a lot of goals and they certainly have a great chance of winning this match if they play anywhere near their best form.

Forest Green are a tremendously proud club with a rich tradition and they will view this cup tie as an excellent opportunity to have a real go & show what they are capable of.

In terms of the season so far in the league, then Forest Green have been struggling in the Blue Square Premier League, sitting 3rd bottom with only 4 wins all seasons so this cup tie will be a welcome relief from those pressures of the league & should encourage the players to be more positive in their play.

We are expecting Forest Green to raise their game for this one & certainly the cup tie element will make it more competitive but in terms of a bet we cannot oppose Notts County who look worth a decent bet to get a couple win & go through to round 4.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Notts County to win

Correct Score options: Notts County to win 2-0/3-0

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Hughes/Rodgers/Hawley

Double Result: Notts County Half Time & Full Time

Bristol City vs Cardiff City – (3rd Round tie, Tuesday 7.45pm)

All Championship tie here with both Bristol City & Cardiff City having promotion as a far more important target than progress in the cup but nevertheless this still looks set to be a fascinating & indeed competitive cup tie.

Bristol City come into this match having experienced a very mixed season with excellent home form but poor away form which sees them sitting 12th in the Championship at present.

Bristol City’s clear target is attempting to get to the play-offs & of course ultimately promotion but having such a strong home record should be motivation enough to be positive & go for the win in this home tie.

1 defeat from their previous 12 home games so far this season shows how strong Bristol City have been at home & they will certainly believe they can go for the win here.

Cardiff City come into this match in the middle of what has been a difficult & frustrating series of matches with disappointing results & performances against Blackpool, Peterborough & Plymouth.

Those 3 poor performances will obviously affect the confidence levels of the Cardiff City players coming into this match & they will be under pressure to perform well here.

Dave Jones has not been at all happy with how Cardiff City have performed in recent weeks & he will demand an improvement in the levels of commitment & performance from the players here so we are expecting Cardiff City to be fully up for this one.

We fully expect this to be a tremendously competitive match & we don’t envisage there being too much between the sides on the night so any result is possible but we are just going to side with Bristol City who should be fresher than Cardiff City going into this match & they can make home advantage pay on the night.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Bristol City to win

Correct Score options: Bristol City to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/player to score anytime: Maynard/Haynes/Hartley

Double Result: Bristol City Half Time & Full Time

Accrington Stanley vs Gillingham – (3rd round tie, Tuesday 7.45pm)

Mid table League 2 side Accrington welcome League 1 strugglers Gillingham to the Crown Ground for what we expect to be a proper, competitive cup tie that looks evenly balanced.

Accrington Stanley will certainly be up for this cup tie because while they have an even home record of 5 wins & 5 defeats, they have generally played very well at home & certainly will believe Gillingham are there for the taking.

Accrington’s latest home game saw them lose 4-2 against Bury & obviously while that was disappointing, they were in front in that game and certainly created enough chances to get a result & generally that is how they do play in their home matches.

Accrington Stanley do believe in playing positive, attacking football and certainly have the ability to score goals & have scored 2 or more goals in 10 of their competitive home matches so that definitely gives them a decent chance in this match.

Gillingham travel to this match struggling in League 1, sitting only a few points above the relegation zone & with a terrible away record of no wins from their 12 previous away matches so far this season.

That terrible away record clearly is a massive factor coming into this game & certainly does highlight that Gillingham will need an excellent performance to get a positive result here even though they are a league higher than Accrington.

The big reason for their problems away from home is that they concede far too many goals with 27 conceded in their 12 away matches & only 9 scored and clearly those figures further highlight the task they face.

This is going to be a proper F.A. cup tie with an intensely competitive battle likely & we like the look of home side Accrington Stanley as a good bet to have the edge in this one & earn their right to play Fulham at home in round 4.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Accrington Stanley to win

Correct Score options: Accrington Stanley to win 2-1/3-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Symes/Miles/Mcconville

Double Result: Accrington Stanley Half Time & Full Time

Birmingham City vs Nottingham Forest – (3rd Round replay, Tuesday 7.45pm)

We have a fascinating game in prospect here between probably the two most in form teams in the country with Birmingham City flying high in the Premier League & unbeaten in 13 games while Nottingham Forest come here unbeaten in 18 matches & so far unbeaten away all season so this should be a fantastic, competitive match.

Birmingham City have everything going for them at present & obviously come into this fixture with confidence levels sky high & the knowledge they can compete equally with anybody on their best form.

Positive results against the likes of Chelsea, Man United, Man City, Liverpool, Fulham, Everton & Sunderland prove how strong Alex McCleish’s side have been this season & indeed they present a major test for every team they play against.

Tactically there is no magic formula or secret to Birmingham City with their success built on consistency of selection which has enabled them to be defensively strong & organised, physically committed in every game & given them massive belief to go into every match confident they can get a result.

Birmingham City’s real strength has been at home with only 2 defeats in 11 and incredibly only 6 goals conceded in those 11 games & it is that tremendous defensive strength that has enabled Birmingham City to get so many positive results.

In terms of this match against Nottingham Forest we expect much the same from Birmingham City again with their plan to keep it incredibly tight & then try to score and indeed given their form they will believe they can do just that.

Billy Davies brings his Nottingham Forest side to Birmingham City having just witnessed his players produce a magnificent team performance to play with style & impressively win 3-1 away at West Brom.

That performance highlighted all the key strengths of Nottingham Forest with defensive organisation, team confidence, a tremendous work ethic & indeed a high level of belief to play attacking football & to try to win every game they play in.

Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in their last 18 matches & incredibly remain unbeaten away so far with 4 wins & 9 draws away from home and clearly that indicates how strong they will be in this match & they certainly do have a fair chance of getting a result.

The incredibly competitive 0-0 draw these two sides shared the first time around showed that these two sides are very closely matched & again we don’t expect their to be too much between the sides here but surely something has to give & for a value bet we are taking Nottingham Forest to edge this one.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Nottingham Forest to win

Correct Score options: Nottingham Forest to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/player to score anytime: Blackstock/Anderson/Mcgoldrick

Double Result: Nottingham Forest Half Time & Full Time

This looks set to be a typically competitive Championship match between two sides who will be happy with their respective starts to the season & the prospects of a good game taking place certainly look pretty good.

Plymouth have started their season with two 1-1 draws which while being nothing tremendous to get carried away with, draws against Crystal Palace away & QPR are respectable and certainly do indicate that the Plymouth squad have a solid team spirit & work ethic that deserves respect in this match.

Cardiff City have carried our backing in both of their opening games for us & they certainly delivered in style on the opening day with a resounding 4-0 win but unfortunately could not pull it off against Blackpool on saturday, with a hard fought point their reward from that match.

In terms of assessing this match we do expect a good, competitive game but we do feel that Cardiff City have got more quality about them with their attacking unit looking pretty potent and we feel that the bookmakers are offering cracking odds on Cardiff getting the away win & Michael Chopra could well prove to be their main goal threat once more.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting:

Cardiff City to win

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Correct Score options:

Cardiff City to win 0-2/1-2

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First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime:

Michael Chopra/Jason Bothroyd

Double Result:

Cardiff Half Time & Full Time

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This is a fascinating clash as it brings together two teams which obliged by getting the results we predicted for them last weekend, with Blackpool playing well & getting a point at QPR & Cardiff City winning in fine style at home.

With both teams starting the season in positive fashion they will come into this game with confidence. With the vastly experienced Ian Holloway & Dave Jones as the respective managers in charge, then that it is also certain this game will be competitive.

We have great respect for Blackpool who will give it their best, but Cardiff City were fantastic against Scunthorpe & we reckon the bookmakers are taking a huge risk with the price available for a Cardiff City win. That scenario looks a great value bet worth taking.

Bet Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting:

Cardiff City to win

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Correct Score options:

Cardiff City to win 0-2/1-2

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First Goalscorer/player to score anytime:

Bothroyd/Chopra

Scorecast options:

Bothroyd/Chopra score 1st + Cardiff 2-0/2-1

Double Result:

Cardiff City Half Time & Full Time

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Dave Jones and his Cardiff City side will be looking to kick off the season in top form and win this opening game against Scunthorpe to erase the bad memories of narrowly missing out on a Play-off place purely because of goal difference on the final day of the season.

Scunthorpe United come into this game and this season full of confidence and optimism after their dramatic promotion to the Championship through their victory in the League 1 play-off final and whilst they are the main tips for relegation with many football pundits, they must be respected and will certainly have a real go this year.

In terms of the match this Saturday, we feel that given Cardiff are such a strong side at home, the opportunity is there for them to get the three points against Scunthorpe on Saturday and we are backing them to do exactly that.

Bet Recommendations

Outright Match Betting:- CARDIFF CITY to win

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Correct Score Options:- 2-0 or 2-1

First Goalscorer (each way) / Player to Score Anytime:- Michael Chopra

Scorecast:- Michael Chopra score 1st + Cardiff 2-0 or 2-1

Double Result:- CARDIFF Half Time & Full Time