It's that time of year. Arguably the finest day of football on the English footballing calendar and we here at Balls.ie are here to help out in the post-Christmas period as we have five tempting FA Cup third round bets to have a go at this weekend.
Last weekend, the betting guru's at Balls.ie conjured up two big winning bets including a 10/1 shot. We aim to start the new year as we ended the last - by winning money.
There are certain guarantees when the third round rolls around - Manchester United will be on television, pundits will mention "the magic of the cup" at any given opportunity and punters will profit off accumulators. We're aiming for the latter here at the Balls offic
The Balls.ie Football Show Ladbrokes Bet Of The Week:
Manchester City To Win And Both Teams To Score @13/5 (Friday)
Manchester City and West Ham are the first teams in FA Cup third round action this weekend in one of the few all-Premier League fixtures. The last time the two teams met was in August 2016, in which City reigned victorious with a 3-1 win. While the East London outfit pride themselves on being a 'cup team' (despite having failed to win it since 1980), they will be aiming to upset the odds when they welcome Guardiola and co to the Olympic Stadium.
West Ham are in reasonable form entering this cup fixture having lost just two of their past six games as they hope to go one better than their run to the quarter finals last season, which saw them knocked out by Manchester United.
Pep Guardiola's team look fragmented at times as they try and rediscover their early season form. Trying to predict what Man City team will show up is often an arduous task as inconsistency plagues the side. That being said, their attacking line should prove too much for West Ham's defence, despite Darren Randolph being in inspired form.
Five Team Accumulator - @10/1 Stoke, Bournemouth, Man Utd, C.Palace & Brighton
The glory of the FA Cup is the sheer volume of games on offer. And there is nothing more satisfying than a five-team accumulator coming in to add some much needed funds to your account in this post-Christmas period. We've a (relatively) safe 10/1 shout which will have you clutching your betting slip close to your chest on Saturday afternoon.
Manchester United are the early kickoff on BT Sports as they welcome Reading (and Japp Stam) back to Old Trafford. The Royals may prove to be formidable opponents having won four of their past five games in the Championship which finds them firmly in the playoff picture in third place. However, José Mourinho's team have consistently found a way to win as they extended their unbeaten run to 13 games.
Bournemouth are in action against Millwall at The Den as they aim to recover from a three-goal collapse on the weekend. Despite throwing a lead versus Arsenal, Bournemouth have impressed under Eddie Howe this season as they sit in ninth place in the Premier League. Their opponents Millwall are under no illusions that this will prove a difficult task as they too are placed ninth in their respective division, League One. Millwall's Premier League counterparts will prove too much on the day.
The other three games in question are Stoke City who take on Wolves, Crystal Palace will travel to Bolton and Brighton who hope to start the new year as they ended 2016 when they face MK Dons at the Amex stadium.
Richie Towell To Score for Brighton vs MK Dons @8/1
Okay, so hear us out. Chris Hughton recently stated that Richie Towell is expected to start against MK Dons this weekend in what will be his first appearance in the first team since the Championship playoff semi-final in May. This season he has scored two goals for the u23's team in the rebranded Checkertrade Trophy. Without a doubt he has the ability but whether or not he makes an appearance remains to be seen but that obscurity about his place in the team only adds to the bet.
MK Dons are in miserable form in League One this season as they hover above the relegation zone. While Brighton are quite the opposite, sitting pretty on top of the Championship table in fine form. It's for that reason that Hughton will be experimenting with the starting eleven to rest key players and give much needed game time to others.
It's a long shot but it's too soon to jump off the Towell bandwagon just yet. Stick some money on the 2015 League of Ireland player of the season
Sunday Four Team Accumulator @3/1 - Liverpool, Chelsea, M'boro & Tottenham
While pundits will often harp on about how nothing is a guarantee in the FA Cup, this more less is. The odds aren't anything to write home about but it's to be expected when four Premier League clubs face lesser opposition.
Liverpool welcome Plymouth Argyle to Anfield in the afternoon kickoff which will see former Celtic and Bohemians midfielder, Graham Carey ply his trade in front of the Kop for the League Two outfit. Expect Klopp to rotate 70% of the squad as they will have one eye on the League Cup semi-final against Southampton four days later. Nevertheless, they should comfortably defeat Plymouth at home.
Peterborough have a monumental task ahead of them as they travel to Chelsea. Antonio Conte's team will aim to bounce back from the defeat against Spurs last weekend. From an Irish point of view, yet another Dubliner will be in action as Chris Forrester continues to inspire Peterborough. Result? Victory for the Londoners.
Middlesbrough did the double over Sheffield Wednesday last season in the Championship and will aim to extend that run in the FA Cup this Sunday. However, the two sides are in contrasting form with Wednesday losing on just one occasion since the beginning of November. While 'Boro have only won two games in the same time frame.
Carlos Carvalhal's team are in with a shout of promotion this season as they hope to go one step beyond last season's heroics and know the league is their most likely route to another day out in Wembley. With two big games against Huddersfield and Brighton beyond the horizon, Wednesday may very well be distracted when they travel to Teeside.
Tottenham and Aston Villa have 13 FA Cup trophies between them so it only makes sense to televise this fixture in a competition which bids to promote nostalgia at any available opportunity. Villains supporters will make their way to White Hart Lane with their head-to-head record in the back of their minds - it reads 11 wins for Spurs, 1 draw and a sole victory for Aston Villa in the past seven years. Expect that record to extend in Tottenham's favour come the final whistle on Sunday evening.
Three Goals To Be Scored In Cambridge United vs Leeds United @3/1 (Monday)
For the first time in years, Leeds supporters are proud to be following their club. Gary Monk arrived at Elland Road and completely revitalised the team. They are playing with an identity and showing real promise of being in the play-off picture at the end of the season.
Both teams are unbeaten in their past five games with a combined 25 goals scored in as many matches. It has all the makings of a classic as neither side will want to concede defeat whilst in such a fine run of form. There may be a potential upset on the cards but goals seem almost guaranteed - three to be exact.
