FA Cup Predictions & Betting tips
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FA Cup
Crystal Palace
Manchester City
Find our free FA Cup prediction on the final winner, as well as our expert predictions on the 2024-25 matches. Lots of information for your sports betting!
FA Cup presentation and predictions
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is the oldest annual knockout competition in the world of football. The tournament was first held in the 1871/72 season, as has been held every year since (with the exception of WWI and WWII disruptions).
Since 1923 the FA Cup final has been held at Wembley Stadium in London, with the exception of a six year spell at the Millenium Stadium when renovations were taking place. Arsenal hold the record for the most FA Cup titles won by a club at 14. Manchester United are close behind in second-place, with their 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the 2023-24 final bringing them their 13th FA Cup title all time.
The thrill of the FA Cup is when teams get wins over clubs higher than them in the English football pyramid. 'Giant killing' adds so much excitement to the competition. For the smaller clubs, a good run in the FA Cup can earn them valuable revenue. They all dream of getting to the third round and perhaps drawing an away game against one of the top Premier League clubs.
FA Cup Prediction: who will win the 2024-25 FA Cup?
It’s difficult to offer up a prediction at this point as the domestic season has yet to kick off. Still, it’s likely we see the blue half of Manchester making another deep run in the 2024-25 season.
Pep Guardiola has one of the strongest and deepest squads in the world, which allows his Citizens to maintain a high level of play over the various different competitions throughout the season. Manchester City will have even more incentive this season after bitterly losing the 2023-24 final to their local rivals Manchester United.
With three finals appearances in the last six years, City have an excellent shot at winning their eighth FA Cup title. Our prediction: Manchester City 2024-25 FA Cup champions!
FA Cup Winner Prediction: outright odds
- Manchester City - 1.40
- Crystal Palace - 3.30
Odds taken from Bet365
FA Cup Final prediction: who will win the 2024-2025 FA Cup final?
The semi-finals have taken place and Manchester City and Crystal Palace have qualified, at the expense of Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. We will therefore be treated to a fine FA Cup final between Crystal Palace and Manchester City on 17 May at the iconic Wembley Stadium. This will be the Eagles' first final since 2016, while the Citizens were finalists in the previous edition and won it in 2023.
- Crystal Palace vs Manchester City
Who will win the title? In any case, Manchester City will be keen to make amends for their poor season by winning their 8th FA Cup, while Crystal Palace will be going all out to win and dream of a place in the Europa League if they beat Liverpool in the Community Shield.
FA Cup Finalist Prediction: who will reach the 2024-25 FA Cup final?
It’s not just the winner that you can bet on. Most bookmakers will also offer bets on which teams will make it to the final. Last year we saw a Manchester derby in the final, will that be the case again this year? Pep Guardiola’s men certainly have a good chance at making it to a third consecutive FA Cup finals appearance, while Manchester United are still in contention with 16 teams remaining. A number of high-profile teams have already exited, meaning this could be a season where we see a team other than the usual suspects make it to the final two.
Dark horse teams such as Aston Villa, Brighton, Bournemouth and Newcastle will be feeling it's their year to make a deep FA Cup run!
FA Cup Semi-Final predictions
Only four teams remain in the world's oldest cup compeititon as we reach the FA Cup semi-finals. Championship side Preston North End's elimination at the hands of Unai Emery's Aston Villa in the quarters means that the remaining teams all hail from the Premier League.
There were no major surprises in the previous round as both Manchester City and Aston Villa took care of business. The other two ties provided wins for the underdog road team as Nottingham Forest (without striker Chris Wood) advanced on penalties over Brighton, while Crystal Palace cruised past an in-form Fulham squad.
Below you'll find the fixtures for the semi-finals. Both matches are set to kick off on 26 April at 14:00 GMT and will be played at Wembley Stadium.
- Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City
- Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa
So which sides will advance? It's sure to be a competitive final four; Forest have been unbelievable this season but they will run into a Manchester City side that will be desperate to claim silverware after a disastrous season so far. We believe the Citizens will ultimately get it done and advance to the FA Cup final for the third year in a row. Palace have been a dangerous side this year but Aston Villa under manager Unai Emery have been a cut above. We believe the Villains will reach the FA Cup final for the first time since finishing as runners-up in the 2014/15 season.
FA Cup Quarter-Final predictions
We're down to the final eight in the 2024/25 FA Cup as we enter into the quarter-finals. Seven of the eight teams are Premier League clubs with only Preston North End (who play in the Championship) representing the lower leagues. Despite the high number of top divison sides, there have been no shortage of surprise results which makes this year's FA Cup truly feel up for grabs.
The Fifth Round saw the elimination of Manchester United and Newcastle, meaning Manchester City is the only 'big club' remaining that was among the favorites at the start of the competition. Take a look at the quarter-final fixtures below (all matches currently scheduled for 29 March, 15:00 GMT).
- Bournemouth vs Manchester City
- Brighton vs Nottingham Forest
- Fulham vs Crystal Palace
- Preston vs Aston Villa
As for our predictions, we believe Manchester City will advance to the semi-finals, although the Vitality Stadium has proven a tricky place to play for a number of top teams this season. Nottingham Forest have been arguably the league's biggest surprise this season and have a good shot at making the final four teams. Fulham pulled off an impressive upset against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the previous round and should be able to ride that momentum to see them past Palace. Finally, Preston's dream run should come to an end in the quarter-finals as they will likely find it tough against a very strong Villa side.
You can find our expert's thoughts on all of the matches on our FA Cup betting predictions page, completely free of charge!
FA Cup Fifth Round preview
A wild Fourth Round of the FA Cup saw six Premier League teams elminated, including one of the top favorites to win the competition! Undoubtedly, the biggest shock of the previous round was Liverpool's 1-0 elimination at the hands of Championship struggers Plymouth. However, Tottenham, Everton, Leicester, Southampton and Chelsea were also sent packing, meaning the field has opened up considerably.
Now, only 16 teams remain with a spot in the quarter-finals on the line. Below you'll find some notable fixtures for the FA Cup Fifth Round (all times GMT):
- Manchester City vs Plymouth - 1 March, 17:45
- Bournemouth vs Wolves - 1 March, 15:00
- Newcastle vs Brighton - 2 March, 13:45
- Manchester United vs Fulham - 2 March, 16:30
- Nottingham Forest vs Ipswich Town - 3 March, 19:30
Plymouth's reward for a fantastic upset against Liverpool is a Fifth Round matchup against 2023/24 runners-up Manchester City. Can the Pilgrims pull another rabbit out of their hats? It's unlikely considering they'll have to travel to the Etihad. Elsewhere, we have four all-Premier League affairs with Mancheste r United vs in-form Fulham and Newcastle vs Brighton sure to capture the most attention. Check out our FA Cup betting predictions to see our experts thoughts, completely free of charge!
FA Cup Fourth Round preview
One of the top contenders for the 2024/25 FA Cup was sent home in the third round as 10-man Manchester United survived the Gunners' barrage to knock Arsenal out on penalties in the Emirates. Another North London club survived a near scare as non-league side Tamworth went toe-to-toe with Tottenham in their home stadium which only seats 4,000 people (a drop compared to the ocean that is the near 63,000 capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium). Spurs would eventually prevail after a goalless 90-minutes to win 3-0 in extra time.
Championship side Plymouth upset the odds to score a 1-0 away victory over a Brentford side that has been on a rampage at home. The final Premier League team to fall in the third round was West Ham, who surrendered a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 to Aston Villa in Villa Park.
Below you'll find some of the notable fixtures for the fourth round of FA Cup action (all times GMT):
- Manchester United vs Leicester City - 8 February, 15:00
- Brighton vs Chelsea - 8 February, 15:00
- Everton vs Bournemouth - 8 February, 15:00
- Aston Villa vs Tottenham - 8 February, 15:00
Holder's Manchester United will see a familar face return to Old Trafford as Ruud van Nistelrooy, who notched 150 goals for the club, leads the 2015/16 Premier League champions Leicester City as manager. Elsewhere, there are three other all-Premier League fixtures. The winners of this round will advance to the final 16 and be one step closer to lifting the world's oldest football competition! Check out our FA Cup betting predictions to see our experts thoughts, completely free of charge!
FA Cup Third Round preview
The third round of the FA Cup sees the big boys enter the field as the Premier League teams kick off their campaigns. All eyes will be glued to North London as a mammoth clash will see one of the country's biggest clubs being sent home at the first hurdle.
Arsenal and Manchester United will face off at the Emirates in a Premier League matchup fit for a final. While the coaches may be silently cursing their luck at having drawn such a tough opponent this early, the fans will be drooling over the proposition of sending one of their rivals home and gaining the bragging rights.
Below you'll find some of the notable matchups to watch out for (all times GMT):
- Arsenal vs Manchester United - 12 January, 15:00
- Aston Villa vs West Ham - 10 January, 20:00
- Middlesbrough vs Blackburn - 11 January - 12:00
- Manchester City vs Salford City - 11 January - 17:45
The magic of the FA Cup sees plenty of upsets ever year. Which sides do you think will come out on top in the third round as the Premier League teams enter the fray? Check out our FA Cup betting predictions to see our experts thoughts, completely free of charge!
Beginners Guide to How the FA Cup Works
The competition begins with the Extra Preliminary Round which is being played this season on August 5. Clubs such as Pickering Town, Tadcaster Albion, Goole and Whitchurch Airport will be beginning their FA Cup campaigns. Who knows, they could make it all the way to the first round proper? Win 14 games and they'll win the FA Cup final but that's for dreamers not gamblers.
The 2024-25 FA Cup sees a total of 745 teams taking part from the Premier League all the way down to the National League System Step 5. They are all bidding to claim one of the 32 places available in the first round proper. That's when the 48 League One and League Two clubs joined the competition. Two rounds are played to determine the 20 clubs who will join the 20 Premier League and 24 Championship teams in the legendary third round of the FA Cup.
The FA Cup Third Round draw is one of the most anticipated events of the season, particularly if a non-League team has reached this stage.
This Third Round is always played at the start of January after which two more rounds are played. The games are played Friday to Monday at this stage. The Fifth Round matches are played in midweek. It's back to the weekend for the last eight and then the two semi-finals are both played at Wembley Stadium. The two winners return to that legendary stadium to play in the final. That's being held on May 25, 2024.
The winner of the cup will qualify for next season's Europa League (unless the team has qualified for that or the Champions League via the Premier League). They also go on to play the Premier League Champions in the Community Shield at Wembley, which is usually held in August the week before the start of the new Premier League season.
Dates for your Diary
The schedule for the 2024-25 season is set! Check out the dates for each round below:
- Qualifying rounds begin on 3 August 2024
- First Round Proper - 2 November
- Second Round Proper - 30 November
- Third Round Proper - 11 January 2025
- Fourth Round Proper - 8 February 2025
- Fifth Round Proper - 1 March
- Quarter Finals - 29 March
- Semi-Finals - 26 April
- Final - 17 May 2025
Bet on your favorite team in the FA Cup!
How to make good predictions on the FA Cup?
If you wish to be successful in making FA Cup predictions, there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration. Reading our previews will certainly help you and they're totally free. Below we list the factors that our betting experts believe are of the greatest importance:
- Check the form of each club playing during the FA Cup
- Look at the fixture list of the English clubs
- Make sure you know the team news
- How important is the match to each club?
- Be aware of the latest statistics of the FA Cup
These five factors will help you make successful FA Cup predictions. Let's now look at each of them in a little more depth.
Check the form of each club taking part during the FA Cup
It's always important to look at the form of a club before they play their next game. It's a little bit different with the FA Cup though. That's because the starting line-ups fielded won't be as strong as those played in the Premier League. It is an idea therefore to look at the teams that clubs have been fielding for their FA Cup games. How have the fringe players who will be included been getting on? Does fielding a weakened line-up still leave a club with a set of players that can win their cup tie? Struggling sides can do well in cup competitions so take not of that.
Look at the fixture list of the English clubs
A busy fixture list will decide just how strong a line-up is fielded by teams and not just for the Premier League. If there is an important midweek game coming up, then squad rotation will be even more in use. Most FA Cup games are played at the weekend. However, the fifth round is played in midweek. That means a club could be playing three games in a week. If that is the case, it'll be the FA Cup game that definitely sees plenty of team changes being made.
Make sure you know the team news
Knowing the team news is so important when it comes to the FA Cup. As we've mentioned, don't expect to see anything like full strength starting line-ups being played in this competition. That might happen in the latter stages but even then the manager may choose to be loyal to players who helped get them that far. Find out the team line-ups and then decide who to back. The clubs which have such a strong squad that they can make lots of changes are the ones to bet on.
How important is the match to each club?
Sadly, some clubs don't put the FA Cup at the top of their priority list. They are much more interested in the Premier League or the Championship. That's why so many weakened line-ups are fielded. For some teams though, the FA Cup is important. If they can't qualify for Europe via their final position in the Premier League, then qualifying by winning the FA Cup becomes an important target. Teams from lower leagues will consider the FA Cup to be very important. That was the case with League Two Grimsby Town who got to the last eight in the 2022-23 season. The FA Cup meant prestige and a big cash boost so it was more important than their league games.
Be aware of the latest statistics
Knowing the key statistics is always very helpful and can avoid costly mistakes being made. When you know who's playing for their team, look to see how they've been getting on in previous weeks. Are the strikers scoring lots of goals or going through a bad patch? Are the defenders keeping clean sheets or have forgotten what one is? Look to see how they've played in previous cup games. The more you know, the better prepared you will be to place a good bet.
What Not to Do For Your FA Cup Predictions
When you are placing your FA Cup bets, there are certain ways to bet that aren't recommended. They can seriously affect the chance of your bets being winning ones. Here are the main ones we feel you should not be doing:
- Not doing enough research
- Take into account only a club's reputation and not its form
- Not checking all the odds on offer and missing the most attractive one
- Betting on an FA Cup match without working out how important the game is to each club
- Chasing losses - never a good idea.
- Placing bets when either tired or upset
- Betting on bookmakers' boosted odds without considering why that's the case.
- Betting repeatedly on your favorite team - use your head not your heart.
- Don't forget this is a cup competition and upsets will happen.
Sometimes it is easy to fall into these behaviors. Always put a lot of thought into every bet that you place. Don't bet when you are upset or tired as this will affect your ability to make the right decisions. Bet carefully, avoid these bad habits and you should be able to do well with your FA Cup bets.
Key Statistics for your FA Cup predictions
Knowing the most important statistics is always important when working out your football bets. Here are some of the key statistics from the previous 2023-24 FA Cup campaign:
- Home wins percentage: 48%
- Draws: 18%
- Away wins: 34%
- Average goals: 3.48 goals per game
- Average home goals: 1.92
- Average away goals: 1.56
- Over 1.5 goals: 85%
- Over 2.5 goals: 68%
- Over 3.5 goals: 46%
- Over 4.5 goals: 27%
- Goal timing distribution: 76-90 minutes (22%)
- First half goals: 44%
- Second half goals: 56%
- “Both teams score: Yes”: 59%
- Matches with a clean sheet: 45%
- Correct score 0-0: 4.1% of matches
- Most frequent score: 2-1 (8.3%)
- Most frequent halftime score: 0-0 (26.5%)
In Short: How to predict FA Cup matches?
Let's now take a shorter look at how to make winning FA Cup bets. Ensure you do some research into the game being played. Know the team line-ups and how important the game is to each side. Know the form of the players chosen. If you haven't got the time to do all these, read the previews of our experts as they will be packed with vital information.
Our FA Cup Predictions of the moment
There are no previews at the moment for this competition
FA Cup: best odds
4.7
4.1
1.8
Take a look at our FA Cup odds before placing your bets on the competition. You can also follow the matches live at our FA Cup livescore tool.
The images featuring this article are licensed from the IMAGO website.
