Round 3 of the F.A. Cup proved there was still plenty of magic left in the competition & this weekend sees the latest round of the F.A. Cup as teams chase their dreams of a Wembley Cup Final in May.
As usual there are loads of very interesting ties for us all to enjoy with plenty of value betting options to consider & here are our views on the matches that caught our eye.

Preston vs Chelsea – (Saturday 12.45pm)

Championship strugglers taking on Premier League leaders might sound like a complete mis-match but this is the cup & Preston will certainly have no fear as they entertain Chelsea in what looks set to be a cracking match.

Preston earned their place in round 4 by producing a fantastic performance to beat Colchester 7-0 & amazingly that was only 3 days after Alan Irvine had left as manager.

Darren Ferguson is the new man in charge & this match against Chelsea represents his first home match as Preston Manager so this is an extra special occasion for him & one that he will be determined to make an immediate impact in.

The first area that Darren Ferguson has committed himself to impacting on is Preston’s defensive problems which were highlighted again in their 4-2 away at Bristol City last weekend & Ferguson knows that they cannot afford to be defensively fragile against Chelsea who come here in top form.

This cup tie is a welcome break from the pressures of the league for Preston & we are expecting Darren Ferguson to send out the Preston players with a very positive attitude & commitment to compete for everything with a high tempo style to prevent Chelsea playing their natural game.

Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that he wants to win whatever competitions he can & with Manchester United & Liverpool out of the way already, he knows that Chelsea have an excellent opportunity to repeat last seasons win in the F.A. Cup.

We are expecting Chelsea to take this match very seriously & coming off the back of a 5-0 win against Watford in Round 3 & then last weekend’s amazing 7-2 win against Sunderland we do expect Chelsea to go all out for the win here.

Confidence levels within the Chelsea squad are sky high & scoring 12 goals in their last 2 matches proves that Chelsea are playing very well & that all their key players are top form again.

The one aspect that Carlo Ancelotti will remain concerned about is the defence which still seems shaky & that could be a concern if Preston go for the direct approach & gather momentum in this match so the Chelsea defence will have to be solid.

Preston’s last two matches have seen 13 goals go in & Chelsea last 3 matches have seen 17 goals scored so this should be an entertaining match & the goals could fly in but in our view it is more likely to be Chelsea doing the scoring & they look a very solid bet to win here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Chelsea to win

Correct Score options: Chelsea to win 3-0/3-1

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

Scorecast options: Lampard/Anelka/Ballack score 1st & Chelsea win 3-0/3-1

Double Result: Chelsea Half Time & Full Time

Reading vs Burnley – (Saturday 12.45pm)

Championship strugglers Reading welcome Premier League strugglers Burnley to what should be a cracking cup tie & fantastic game of open, attacking football.

Clearly Reading & Burnley have bigger, more importants targets of staying in their respective leagues but this F.A. Cup 4th round tie is a welcome break from the weekly pressures of the league & both teams will believe they can progress further.

Reading earned their right to stage this match after deservedly beating Liverpool over 2 matches & the confidence gained from those games should see an improvement in performances from Reading over the coming weeks in the league & of course while they are still in the cup as well.

After the delights of winning at Liverpool, Reading were brought back down to earth by Nottingham Forest who beat them 2-1 but that was not such a big surprise given how much effort the Reading players put into the Liverpool game & we expect them to be much fresher here.

Reading will know what to expect from Burnley in terms of tactics & indeed Burnley’s positive, open style should give Reading the chance to play their own football and if they hit their best form they are clearly capable of beating Burnley here as well.

Brian Laws faced the ultimate task in his first game in charge at Burnley has he took his side to play Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Ultimately Burnley lost that match but they played very well & actually should have scored first so that should have given Brian Laws great confidence that he has the players who can get Burnley out of trouble.

Brian Laws knows that one key area that Burnley have to improve in is their away form & he will see this away cup tie as the perfect opportunity to improve the mentality & confidence of the Burnley players when they play away.

Tactically both Reading & Burnley like to set-up to play open, passing football & always look to create chances but both equally have defensive issues as well so this should be a cracking match & the goals could well go in here.

Reading’s victory over Liverpool makes it tough to ignore their claims & they will be competitive again here but in our view Burnely look a value bet to have the edge on the day & win through to round 5.

Betting Recommendations:

Outrigth Match Result: Burnley to win

Correct Score options: Burnley to win 2-1/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Alexander/Eagles/Nugent

Scorecast options: Alexander/Eagles/Nugent score 1st & Burnley win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Burnley Half Time & Full Time

West Brom vs Newcastle United – (Saturday 3.00pm)

Fascinating battle of two of the three leading lights in the Championship here as 3rd place West Brom welcome Championship leaders Newcastle United to what should be a fantastic, entertaining cup tie.

Amazingly these two sides clash for the 2nd time in 6 days having fought out a cracking 2-2 draw at Newcastle & both sides will believe they can win this so another cracker looks on the cards here.

That 2-2 draw at Newcastle & indeed the 1-1 draw these sides shared on the opening day of the season both proved the quality within each squad & how closely matched they are so there is unlikely to be too much between the sides again here.

The fact that this is a cup tie & not another Championship match should see the pressure lifted off the players as well & that should further encourage them to play more open, attacking football & the prospect for goals is again very high.

Both Roberto Di Mattteo at West Brom & Chris Hughton at Newcastle know that it is promotion to the Premier League that really matters but with this cup tie being against their key rivals, this is a fantastic opportunity for both sides to score at least a psychological victory & we expect both managers to be very positive here.

This could well prove to be on the best & most competitive 4th round ties & should provide great entertainment with any result entirely possible given how closely matched both teams are but ultimately we think home advantage could be the key & West Brom look worth a bet to edge this on the day.

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: Bednar/Dorrans/Brunt

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

Double Result: West Brom Half Time & Full Time

Accrington Stanley vs Fulham – (Saturday 3.00pm)

Out of all this weekend’s 4th round ties, could this clash of league 2 mid table side Accrington Stanley versus Fulham of the Premier League be the one that provides the shock & the magic we all look for in the F.A. Cup?

The answer in our view is it could well be just that & this tie certainly does look to have that classic David vs Goliath look to it that only the F.A. Cup can produce.

Accrington Stanley currently sit 11th in League 2, are a side who like to play attacking football & for them this is a fantastic opportunity for the club to show what they are about & indeed bring a much needed boost to the finances of the club.

Accrington Stanley have been relatively strong at home this season & win, lose or draw they always make sure they give their opponents a real test at the Crown Ground & that it what we expect against Fulham in this match.

A 1-0 home win over League 1 side Gillingham in round 3 on tuesday saw them progress to this 4th round tie & that win should give them the confidence to have a real go here & Fulham’s poor away record gives them a chance of getting something from the match.

Roy Hodgson is knowlegable & experienced enough to know that this match at Accrington Stanley is going to be a real test for his players & he will know what to expect.

Roy Hogson knows that he has a talented squad who have superior technique & skills to that of the Accrington players but equally he knows that Accrington Stanley will be be totally pumped up for this one & Fulham will have to be very competive & organised here.

Fulham have struggled away from home this season & indeed come into this match with 3 defeats from their last 4 games so team confidence is bound to be affected by that & that could be a problem here.

Ordinarily we would all expect Fulham to win this match but they are struggling a little at present & the F.A. Cup is a great leveller so we are taking Accrington Stanley as a value bet to win this & provide more F.A. Cup magic.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Accrington Stanley to win

Correct Score options: Accrington Stanley to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Miles/Symes/Grant

Scorecast options: Miles/Symes/Grant to score 1st & Accrington Stanley to win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Accrington Stanley Half Time & Full Time

Notts County vs Wigan – (Saturday 3.00pm)

Having beaten non-league Forest Green in round 3, Notts County now come up against Premier league side Wigan in what should be another fascinating cup tie.

Just as with the Accrington Stanley vs Fulham game, this is another case of League 2 vs Premier League which adds to the interest & certainly provides plenty for us to get interested in.

Notts County currently sit 8th in League 2 & have had a steady season so far with their home form particularly strong which will give them confidence ahead of this match.

Notts County won here in the cup on wednesday & have only lost once in 11 home league matches which illustrates how tough they are to play at home & certainly does give them a chance of getting a positive result here.

Positive, attacking football is what Notts County like to play & certainly they have a capacity to score goals which should give them the confidence & belief to take the game to Wigan & give it their best shot.

Roberto Martinez’s Wigan side have been on a roller coaster all season with massive ups & downs and nobody knows from week to week what to expect from Wigan which does make it tough to assess them.

The one consistent factor with Wigan is Roberto Martinez’s belief in playing positive, passing football & we certainly expect Wigan to play that way here as well.

The Wigan squad should come into this match confident after a very important 2-0 away win at Wolves & indeed the fact this is a cup tie should take the pressures away & Wigan certainly have the attacking quality to cause Notts County real problems.

We are expecting this to be a fascinating & indeed entertaining match with any result possible given how both sides play but for a fun, value bet we are taking Notts County to make home advantage pay & make their own F.A. Cup history.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Notts County to win

Correct Score options: Notts County to win 2-1/3-1

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

Scorecast options: Hawley/Hughes/Rodgers score 1st & Notts County win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Notts County Half Time & Full Time

Other F.A. Cup Recommendations:

Everton vs Birmingham City:
Everton to win 2-0/2-1
- Fellaini/Cahill/Saha e/w 1st goalscorer /score anytime

Stoke City vs Arsenal:
Stoke City to win 2-0/2-1
- Fuller/Shawcross/Tuncay e/w 1st goalscorer/score anytime

Portsmouth vs Sunderland:
Sunderland to win 2-1/3-1
- Bent/Malbranque/Jones e/w 1st goalscorer/score antyime

Tottenham vs Leeds United:
Tottenham to win 3-0/3-1
- Defoe/Keane/Modric e/w 1st goalscorer/score anytime

Derby County vs Doncaster Rovers:
Doncaster Rovers to win 2-0/2-1
- shiels/Coppinger/Sharp e/w 1st goalscorer/score anytime

Wolves vs Crystal Palace:
Crystal Palace win 2-1/3-1
- Moses/Ambrose/Danns e/w 1st goalscorer/score anytime

Fascinating clash in prospect here between mid table League 1 side Brentford who welcome mid table Championship side Doncaster Rovers to what should be a very competitive & entertaining cup tie.
Brentford have been strong & reliable at home this season with 5 wins & 6 draws from their 13 home league matches & that indicates they will be a tough nut to crack here.

A 3-1 home win against Carlisle on saturday will mean the Brentford players come into this match full of confidence & they will certainly believe they can be positive & go for the win here.

Doncaster Rovers are a very well organised, balanced side who pride themselves on playing positive, passing football & come here in excellent form with 5 wins in their last 7 matches including a very good 2-1 home win against Watford at the weekend.

Doncaster Rovers are tough to break down & they will travel to Brentford knowing they can match Brentford for effort & will believe their extra quality gives them a great chance of getting a win here.

This looks set to be an incredibly competitive cup tie with Brentford at home & fully determined to give everything while Doncaster Rovers have the extra quality so there will not be much between them on the night but Doncaster Rovers look worth a bet to edge this on the night.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Doncaster Rovers to win

Correct Score options: Doncaster Rovers to win 2-0/2-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Coppinger/Shiels/Stock

Double Result: Doncaster Rovers Half Time & Full Time

The Championship, League 1 & League 2 are probably the three most complex & difficult leagues for football punters to assess with confidence & the weekly challenge of finding winning selections is indeed a very tough one.

We have had a good look at all the fixtures in those leagues & here are our thoughts on where the best value may lie:

The Championship:

Swansea vs Q.P.R.:

Very interesting game in prospect here as Swansea manager welcomes his former team Q.P.R. to what should be a good game of positive football

Swansea have started slowly this season with 5 draws & only 2 wins in their first 10 league games & the most worrying fact is that they have failed to score in 6 of those games.

Swansea will be looking to this game to build on their terrific 2-1 win against Sheffield United in their last home game which should give them confidence for this match.

Q.P.R. come into this game in good confidence & in a run of form which has seen them only lose 1 game in the last 8 & that was a 1-0 defeat by Chelsea.

Q.P.R. were very impressive when winning on their last visit to Wales when the beat Cardiff 2-0 & they followed that up with an excellent 5-2 home win last weekend & a very solid 1-1 draw away at Newcastle United.

We are expecting a good game of positive football with both managers philosophy based on entertaining so it should be a very competitive game.

Swansea will be determined to build on their last home win but in our opinion, Q.P.R. are in better form & have more quality in attacking areas so they look a good value bet to get another important away win.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match betting: Q.P.R. to win

Correct score options: Q.P.R. to win 2-0/2-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Simpson/Buzsaky/Routledge

Sheffield United vs Doncaster Rovers:

We expect this match to be an intense local derby & it should provide a game with great atmosphere & competitive spirit on the pitch.

There is no love lost between the folk of Sheffield & Doncaster and you can be certain everybody connected to both clubs will be fully up for this game.

Sheffield United are odds on favourites to win this game but they deserve to be given how they are unbeaten at home & certainly have the edge in terms of quality in the squad.

Doncaster Rovers always attempt to play good passing football & they are a solid team unit with a good team spirit which makes them hard to break down but at the same time they struggle to win games.

This should be a cracking atmosphere & match to go with it but given how good Sheffield United looked against arch rivals Sheffield Wednesday, the local rivalry should inspire them & they look a solid bet to win this battle.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Sheffield United to win

Correct Score options: Sheffield United to win 2-1/3-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Evans/Henderson

The remaining fixtures in the Championship look very, very difficult to assess with any outcome entirely possible & there is a good chance that there will be a higher percentage of draws.

The games that appeal as likely DRAW candidates are:

Barnsley vs Ipswich, Coventry City vs Leicester City, Preston vs West Brom & Derby County vs Sheffield Wednesday

League 1:

The League 1 fixtures list looks incredibly tough this weekend & the potential for a higher proportion of draws is certainly there – the highlights of the fixture list are Colchester vs Huddersfield Town & Leeds United vs Charlton Athletic.

Colchester vs Huddersfield Town:

4th place Colchester welcome 6th place Huddersfield Town to what is definitely a very important clash but equally could well be very entertaining one given the quality within both sides.

Colchester have been excellent this season losing only 2 of their 10 league games with 4 wins from their 5 home matches & clearly they are very strong at home.

That point was proven with their fantastic 3-0 home win against Charlton last weekend & that result should drive Colchester to be very positive & go for the win again here.

Lee Clark’s Huddersfield Town come into this game having suffered a poor spell of results after a great start to the season so clearly they need to bounce back here.

Lee Clark is a very positive manager & Huddersfield definitely have got the necessary talent within their squad to go to Colchester & be positive in their play although they will have to be much defensively solid than they have been in recent matches.

We like the look of this match & the prospects for entertainment & goals certainly look high & it what is likely to be a very competitive game, a scoring draw appeals as a value bet here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Draw

Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Lisbie/Odejayi/Rhodes/Kay

Leeds United vs Charlton Athletic:

It does seem incredible that these two former Premier League sides now clash in a League 1 tie but that is the case & here we have what is certainly the biggest League 1 game so far this season & probably will be the biggest all season in League 1.

Leeds United & Charlton come into this massive match sitting 1st & 2nd respectively after both enjoying tremendous starts to the season.

Leeds United are unbeaten so far & Charlton have only lost 1 game so far so clearly this is going to be a very competitive game & one that looks incredibly tough to call.

The home record of Leeds United in the past year or so is phenomenal & clearly Leeds United fear nobody when playing at Elland Road so we expect them to be very positive against Charlton here.

Charlton suffered their first loss of the season when going down 3-0 away at Colchester so they have to get over that but previously they had looked very confident & certainly have the quality within their squad to achieve a positive result at Leeds.

This game should provide a lot of entertainment given the quality within both sides but equally there is a lot of pressure on this game & with that in mind we feel that neither side will want to lose & a scoring draw looks a sensible bet.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: DRAW

Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime options: Beckford/Becchio/Shelvey/Burton

League 2:

League 2 is a notoriously competitive league to solve & incredibly difficult for football punters to find a consistent winning edge & we have to say the League 2 fixture list looks tough again this weekend but here are the teams we think have a great chance of winning:

Notts County to beat Cheltenham

Chesterfield Town to beat Accrington

Rotherham United to beat Crewe

Shrewsbury Town to beat Morecambe

Bournemouth to beat Port Vale

We like the look of this game as it brings together two sides who so far remain unbeaten after two games each in the league & so a positive, open game of football looks likely in this one.

Doncaster Rovers have started with two 1-1 draws which is a satisfactory start & what has been impressive about both draws is that they have come from behind both times which indicates a strong team spirit & that will only help to build team confidence as well.

Coventry City have had a fantastic start to their season with two good wins over Ipswich & Barnsley meaning their confidence for this game will be assured & they are certain to be positive in this match.

Doncaster Rovers really did improve towards the latter part of last season with their solid home form a big factor in that so they deserve respect but our view on this match is that Coventry City have been very impressive so far, they look very confident & importantly for us they look a great value bet to get the away win with Clinton Morrison looking a strong candidate to get amongst the goals again.

Bet Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting:

Coventry City to win

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Correct Score options:

Coventry City to win 0-2/1-2

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First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime:

Clinton Morrison/Leon Best

Double Result:

Coventry City Half Time & Full Time

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Both Doncaster Rovers & Preston come into this 2nd league fixture of the season having had satisfactory starts last weekend, with both teams achieving draws after coming from behind in their game. Both sets of players should receive confidence boosts from that setting up the prospect of a positive game here.

Doncaster did improve & particularly at home in the latter part of last season, so they certainly will represent a real test for Preston, but given how strong Preston were last season & how much determination & belief they displayed to come from 2-0 down last weekend, their confidence levels should be high & we feel that a Preston win is the solid value option.

Bet Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting:

Preston to win

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Correct Score options:

Preston to win 0-1-0-2

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First goalscorer options:

Jon Parkin/Neil Mellor

Double Result:

Preston Half Time & Full Time

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