BRENTFORD vs STOKE CITY 
Saturday 4thJanuary 1501hrs
Football – England FA Cup
Pick Brentford win
Bookmaker William Hill
Odds: 1.95 (odds taken 03:08 GMT, 04 January )
The 3rd round of the FA Cup starts this weekend and Saturday’s fixtures feature the clash between Brentford and Stoke City as the betting tips continue at Griffin Park.
Brentford Prediction – Can Brentford transfer league success in cup?
Brentford are currently flying high in the Championship and will be in confident mood as they bounced back from their recent 1-0 defeat away at an improving Millwall side to record an emphatic 4-0 win away from home at Bristol City on New Years Day.
That win in the west country saw The Bees move up into 3rd place in the Championship and although they trail 2nd placed West Brom by a 9-point margin, the hosts will nevertheless be overjoyed at their successful campaign in the Championship so far this season as they continue to punch well above their weight.
With just 1 defeat out of their last 6 matches, Brentford look to be in good shape to progress to the next round of the FA Cup at the expense of their opponents, Stoke City, despite drawing 0-0 with The Potters earlier in the season at Griffin Park.
Results at home though have been Brentford’s trump card in recent times as the London club have won their last 5 matches on the trot with victories over Reading, Luton Town, Cardiff City, Fulham and Swansea City respectively.
Stoke City Prediction – Can Stoke cause upset?
Although they currently occupy a very disappointing fourth from bottom spot in the Championship, Stoke City have made gradual improvement under new manager, Michael O’Neill as The Potters have registered recent wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town.
Inconsistency continues to hinder Stoke’s progress though as recent defeats to Middlesbrough and Fulham (both away from home) indicate, and the general feeling is that Stoke’s best chances of survival in the Championship this season lie at their bet365 Stadium.
Indeed, 6 defeats out of their last 8 matches on their travels in the second tier suggest to back this sentiment up, and a trip to face an in-form and confident Brentford side may not be high on Stoke’s agenda at the moment as they look to claw their way to safety in the Championship.
With just 4 away wins out of their last 28 matches in the Championship, Stoke look to have their work cut out here if they’re to progress to the next round of this competition.
Key-Facts – Brentford vs Stoke City
- Brentford have won their last 5 home matches on the trot
- Stoke have won just 4 of their last 28 away matches in the Championship
- Brentford are unbeaten in their last 4 meetings at home v Stoke, winning 3 of these
Betting Tips Verdict
With confidence and momentum behind them, Brentford should progress here.
