Newcastle v Birmingham Betting Preview – FA Cup 18th January 7.45pm
This battle between the two Championship sides isn’t over yet, but Newcastle will be feeling more confident as they head into this replay on Wednesday night. The Magpies were held to a 1-1 at the first attempt at St Andrews, but they have already hosted Birmingham in the Championship this season and the Magpies thumped the Blues 4-0. So Rafa Benitez will be hoping for some smooth passage this midweek in getting through to the fourth round of the draw. The winner of the tie will face a trip to Oxford in the Fourth Round.
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Newcastle v Birmingham Betting Tips
Well Newcastle have been a bit below par since the festive period kicked in really and they have produced a mixed bag of W2 D1 L2 in their last five games in all competitions. They survived the first attempt at St Andrews after having taken the lead in the match and they will be pretty confident you would imagine about their chances of taking the Blues down in the replay. Newcastle as a whole have produced some pretty strong form at St James Park this season to suggest that they are going to be alright in this one. They took a confidence-boosting win at Brentford in the league on the weekend, so their confidence should be up. Newcastle have produced a W11 L4 record on home soil this season and three of the four defeats which they have suffered this term has seen them fail to score in.
But Newcastle have the power going forward to ensure that they get through this and just back in December they put four goals past Birmingham in a league match up. The Magpies have netted at least two goals in each of their home games which they haven’t lost this season. You can have a quote of 3/4 at Bet365 on over 2.5 goals turning up in this one and that has happened in three of the last four between these on Tyneside. Interestingly the last time that these two met in the FA Cup was back in the 2006/07 season and they drew at St Andrews in the first attempt and then Birmingham won the replay 5-1 back at St James Park. Hard to see that happening this time around and the Magpies have Dwight Gayle is running as 10/11 outright favourite in the anytime goalscorer market with Daryl Murphy and Ayoze Perez at 6/4.
The Blues are not good travellers. Currently home and away they have failed to win any of their last six games across all competitions and have won one of their last nine which was home win against Ipswich in the league. They haven’t been good away from home this term and they have lost four of their last seven away from home and they have failed to score in two of their last three away from home as well. It is likely going to end up that Birmingham missed the boat in the first attempt on home soil. It’s not often the underdog gets through at the second attempt, especially not out on the road. Lukas Jutkiewicz could have won the game for Gianfranco Zola’s Birmingham, and he looked their biggest threat going forward. He is a 3/1 anytime goalscorer option in this one.
Newcastle v Birmingham Betting Odds
Newcastle 4/7, Draw 16/5, Birmingham 11/2
Newcastle v Birmingham Predictions
Even if Newcastle throw a little a caution to the wind and rest a few players they should be fine in this one on home soil. The Blues aren’t travelling well at all and there’s no reason why, with their superior firepower, that Newcastle can’t get through this one at something of a canter. Look for Newcastle to win to nil as the Blues don’t pose a big offensive threat.
