FA Fifth Round Replay Betting

Wednesday is FA Cup replay day, with five Premier League teams looking to secure places in the Sixth Round. There are four matches occurring, which we shall cast a firm betting eye over here, to find the best online betting prices and betting strategies. Some of the results from the Fifth round were surprises which has led to these matches being played, but now it is time for the crunch, and it is where quality usually shines through.

Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
The battling Championship strugglers put in another good FA Cup performance, enjoying their football away from the basement of the Championship. Boss Neil Warnock has a fight on his hands, and he has been linked with a move away from the club to join QPR, who are only four points ahead of Palace, who are third from bottom. They have suffered two defeats in the league since the draw with Aston Villa, and things aren’t looking too rosy for them at the moment. It took a late equaliser from the Premier League side to stay in the competition. The replay, although it is better than  being knocked out, isn’t what boss Martin O’Neill would have wanted. He now has to juggle his side ahead of Sunday’s big date in the Carling Cup final against Manchester United. It should be less of a daunting task taking on Palace at Villa Park, and O’Neill will probably rest some key players ahead of the final, most notably Gabriel Agbonlahor. Villa were rampant in their 5-2 win over Burnley on the weekend, which kept them in the race for fourth spot in the Premier League, and should not have too much trouble at home at the lowly Championship side.
Aston Villa to win: 4/11 at Bet365
Draw: 4/1 at Ladbrokes
Crystal Palace to win: 17/2 at SkyBet

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: The underdogs had their day in the first match, which was a cracker, by the way. Unlikely to get as close to Villa this time around, so Villa with a good minus should do the trick on the betting strategy.
Crystal Palace +1.25 Asian Handicap: 43/40 at Bet365

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Stoke v Manchester City
This replay comes with the reward of taking on the best team left in the competition, Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. City were expected to beat Stoke, but a dour 1-1 draw against them, highlighted the fact that City are probably still off the pace when it comes to being a strong, consistent team. Still, they are heading in the right direction, just not there yet. Another miserable draw against Liverpool on the weekend showed that. Without Tevez they lack a bit of a spark. Stoke on the other hand are simply making a nuisance of themselves this season, playing not too pretty football, but getting the results that will keep them in mid table safety, and away from relegation. They sneaked a late winner against Portsmouth on the weekend, and while the FA Cup isn’t a priority for manager Tony Pulis, it will do wonders for their season. Premier League survival and an FA Cup Quarter Final appearance should be considered a success. They are unbeaten in 2010, which is quite an achievement, and knocked Arsenal out of the competition along the way. They are a difficult team to play against, more than being a classy team. City have fallen back into ways of drawing games, with their last three matches ending in ties. Boss Roberto Mancini won’t be fancying this one much with the pressure mounting. He has selection problems beyond missing Tevez, and that could just tip the balance in Stoke’s favour at home.
Stoke to win: 2/1 at SkyBet
Draw: 12/5 at Totesport
Manchester City to win: 6/4 at BetFred

Asian Handicap Betting Advice. Another drawn match is favourite here, so there could well be extra time on the cards. There will be big questions over whether Man City have the fight to deal with a match like this, especially missing players, so leaning towards Stoke for that reason, makes for a good betting strategy. Even if it is a draw no bet for the 90 minutes.
Stoke +0.5 Asian Handicap: 5/6 at Paddy Power

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Tottenham v Bolton
The second of Wednesday night’s all Premier League showdowns in the FA Cup. This was a bit of a non-starter at the Reebok at the first attempt, but Harry Redknapp will be happy enough that his Spurs side are back at home. Lower teams often raise their games for the excitement of the first game in the FA Cup rounds, and like Palace, Bolton probably had their big chance to progress when they were leading in the first leg. Tottenham looked pretty slick in their 3-0 away win at Wigan on the weekend, a bit of a return to form after something of a mini slump. They are still clinging onto fourth spot in the league, and they do of course have a rich history in the FA Cup. Bolton are still wedged down in the relegation zone, and that could favour Tottenham as well, as Owen Coyle may decide to rest important players, putting preference on Premier League survival instead. They already have some selection problems through injury, so it could be a weakened side which turns out at White Hart Lane. The winner gets an away tie at Fulham, and more likely than not, that should be Spurs. The London club were delivered some bad news about England winger Aaron Lennon though, who went for a scan after recuperating from injury, only to be told he has another groin injury that needs attention.
Tottenham to win: 2/5 at 888Sport
Draw: 4/1 at Bet365
Bolton to win: 17/2 at SkyBet

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: On paper, everything leans towards Tottenham, and the weight of Premier League survival could actually hamper Bolton’s chances in this. The weekend display saw Spurs return to a bit of form, and therefore confidence, and will be a stronger side.
Bolton +1.25 Asian Handicap: 11/10 at Stan James

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West Brom v Reading

An all Championship clash, between high flying West Brom and lowly Reading, who have been the fairytale story of the FA Cup this season. Reading’s season has been all about survival in the Championship, but the highlights have come from knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup at Anfield, and then following that up with a win over Premier League side Burnley. They had their noses in front against West Brom in the first match, but just couldn’t hold on against their strong division rivals. They should take heart from their previous FA Cup performances, that they are more than possible of going out and causing another upset. West Brom are battling for automatic promotion back to the Premier League. After briefly dislodging Newcastle from first place, they have failed to pick up a win in their last two games, have fallen six points back of the leaders. A little wobble, but they are still a good team in a strong looking Championship this season.
West Brom to win: 3/4 at Expekt
Draw: 11/4 at SkyBet
Reading t win: 4/1 at Bet365

Asian Handicap Betting Advice. This game will send a Championship side through to the last eight, and there is a sneaky feeling that Reading could upset the apple cart again. They will be buoyed up and going for it. Albion beat Reading 3-1 in league at the Hawthorns earlier in the season, but this is the FA Cup, and Reading seem to been blessed with the golden touch in it this season. Therefore, leaning towards them in the plus for betting strategies, could be the way to go.
Reading +0.5 Asian Handicap – 5/4 at Bet365