FA Cup Fourth Round Betting Odds – Leeds look for more giant-killing heroics

It’s FA Cup Fourth Round betting time! Just three short weeks ago we were at the turn of the new year, and looking forward to the Third Round of the FA Cup, the first fixtures of 2010. Now here all the thrills and spills of the FA Cup are back again, as the fourth round takes precedence on Saturday and Sunday. There are of course, two notable absentee’s on the list, namely Manchester United, who lost to Leeds, and Liverpool, who lost a replay at Anfield to lowly Championship side Reading. Other than that, the Premier League did pretty well in the third round against lower ranked teams, and there are a few eye-catching ties for Saturday. Here are some of the highlights of the FA Cup fourth round, with latest prices.

Preston v Chelsea
First up, holders Chelsea have landed themselves a nice draw away to Preston, which gets underway at 12.45pm on Saturday. Preston are down in 17th in the Championship, but ran riot against Colchester in the FA Cup Third Round, where they scored seven unanswered goals against the League One side. They didn’t fare quite so well back on league duty afterwards, where they crashed 4-2 to Bristol City. Chelsea, strong favourites for the Premier League title, are no strangers to scoring seven goals themselves. Last Saturday they thumped Sunderland 7-2 at Stamford Bridge, which means they have scored twelve goals in their two games in 2010. They looked back to the ominous best again on Saturday, very fluent and slick passing going forward. This is of course, all without Didier Drogba and Michael Essien who are still involved in the African Cup of Nations. A good pay day for Preston, but Chelsea should come through very comfortably. Pretty much a full side should turn out for Chelsea, with Ancelotti looking to build momentum on all fronts.
Tip: Over 2.5 Goals – Evens at BetFred

West Brom v Newcastle
Sounds like it should be a Premier League fixture, and it could very well be next season. Newcastle have been leading the way at the top of the Championship all season, with, for the most part, West Brom hot on their heels. The two sides met at St James’ Park last Monday, and the game ended up in an exciting 2-2 draw. The Toon Army are hoping for a rapid return back to the big time, and sitting three points clear of second placed Nottingham Forest in the league with a game in hand, they will be confident they can achieve just that. A good run in the FA Cup, by boss Chris Hughton, would further instil belief that Newcastle belong in the big league, and they can do that by besting third placed West Brom. Newcastle should have the edge in defence, but both have similar goal difference record. Not a great deal to choose between them, and the fact that they are both chasing promotion at the top of the Championship, adds a little extra rivalry to give this tie a little edge.
Tip: West Brom -0.25 Asian Handicap – Evens at Victor Chandler

Tottenham v Leeds
After dumping rivals Manchester United out of the FA Cup at Old Trafford in the third round, League One leaders Leeds probably won’t have too much fear about going to White Hart Lane. Sure Spurs are enjoying life in the top four at the moment, but when a team beats Manchester United on their home turf, then you know your opponents are going to give you a hard time. Maybe the FA Cup distracted Leeds a little, as they haven’t won a game since, drawing one and losing two. Such has been the success of their season so far though, that they are still three points clear of Norwich and Charlton at the top of League One, with a game in hand over both. It is often the way, a good cup run can detract from much needed form in the league, and this is where the balance comes in as a manager. Fans can rest assured though that Leeds boss Simon Grayson will be going all out to beat Tottenham and cause another major upset in the FA Cup. They should be good enough to close out the rest of the season in League One and get promotion back to the Championship. How far they go in the FA Cup though, could determine how easy a ride they get in the league though over the next coming weeks. Tottenham of course, have a great FA Cup pedigree, and are looking a better side than they have done in years. They came undone in their midweek Premier League match against Liverpool though, despite dominating for long periods of the game. They showed some good attacking prowess, without getting the breaks, and it should be a very entertaining game against Leeds.
Tip: Tottenham to win by one goal margin – 11/4 at SkyBet

There are some all Premier League match ups, which see Everton v Birmingham, Portsmouth v Sunderland and Sunday’s fixture between Stoke v Arsenal. Reading’s reward for their heroics against Liverpool, is a home tie against Premier League side Burnley. Representing League Two, Accrington Stanley have a great home draw against Premier League side Fulham, while Notts County host Wigan. Other highlights sees Championship strugglers Scunthorpe have a glamour tie against Carlos Tevez and Manchester City. Carling Cup finalists Aston Villa have a home tie against Brighton.

Premier League v Premier League
Everton (4/5) v Birmingham (3/1) at Ladbrokes
Stoke (10/3) v Arsenal (5/6) at Coral
Portsmouth (6/4) v Sunderland (9/5) at William Hill

Premier League v Championship
Preston (11/1) v Chelsea (1/4) at Bet365
Bolton (4/5) v Sheff Utd (7/2) at SkyBet
Wolverhampton (5/6) v Crystal Palace (11/4) at Totesport
Reading (8/5) v Burnley (23/10) at Boylesports
Scunthorpe (7/1) v Man City (2/5) at BetFred

Premier League v League One
Aston Villa (1/5) v Brighton (14/1) at Victor Chandler
Tottenham (1/3) v Leeds United (8/1) at Blue Square

Premier League v League Two
Accrington Stanley (21/4) v Fulham (9/20) at Sporting Bet
Notts County (4/1) v Wigan (4/6) at Paddy Power

Championship v Championship
Cardiff (Evens) v Leicester (12/5) at Stan James
West Brom (11/8)  v Newcastle (2/1) at 888Sport
Derby (7/5) v Doncaster (24/13) at Expekt

League One v League Two
Southampton (17/11) v Ipswich (6/4) at Bwin