Scott Thornton’s FA Cup Props: Best Bets Preview

Scott Thornton is back with some props bets for this next round of action in the FA Cup. 

Manchester United host Leicester on Friday night in the first of our matches. Manchester City get Saturday’s games underway when they make the trip to Leyton Orient. Newcastle continue their pursuit of silverware against Birmingham later that day before Brighton take on Chelsea. Our only Sunday match is Plymouth vs Liverpool. 

• Manchester United vs Leicester: Over 25.5 Shots In The Match
• Leyton Orient vs Manchester City: Over 28.5 Throws In The Match
• Birmingham vs Newcastle: Over 32.5 Tackles In The Match
• Brighton vs Chelsea: Over 16.5 Tackles For Chelsea
• Plymouth vs Liverpool: Over 4.5 Goal Kicks For Liverpool

Acca odds: 21.58

Manchester United vs Leicester: Ruud’s Redemption?

England, FA Cup, Friday, 7th February, 20:00 (UK)

Manchester United are aiming to forget about their Premier League woes as they look to progress in the FA Cup on Friday night. The team have struggled to find consistency under Ruben Amorim and winning silverware is the only way they can salvage their season.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy returns to Old Trafford just a few months after he led Manchester United as the interim manager. During his short tenure as Red Devils boss, Ruud helped United secure two wins over Leicester, his current employer. The Foxes were hammered 4-0 by Everton in their last game and need to show more fight here. 

There were 39 shots in the match when these teams met in the EFL Cup back in October. Both teams have changed managers since then but over 25.5 attempts appeals given the do-or-die nature of the cup. United’s home matches under Amorim have seen an average of 26.22 shots. 

Leicester’s away matches across all competitions this season have seen 26.93 shots on average. The Foxes should show plenty of attacking intent here against a United side who are struggling for form. 

• Selection: Over 25.5 Shots In The Match (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.83
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 7/10

Leyton Orient vs Manchester City: Pep’s Cup Away Games Provide Insight

England, FA Cup, Saturday, 8th February, 12:15 (UK)

Leyton Orient are fighting it out for a playoff place in League One. They are currently 6th in the league. The team overcame Derby in the last round of the FA Cup but making it any further in the competition requires a monumental upset. 

Manchester City were beaten 5-1 at the Emirates last weekend as they continue to struggle in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola seldom finishes a campaign without silverware to show it for and FA Cup success looks to be the club’s best chance of winning this season. Pep will undoubtedly rotate with Real Madrid on the horizon but they should have enough to get past Leyton Orient.

Orient have played 33 matches across all competitions this season with those seeing an average of 54.91 throws. The throw counts increase as you go further down the English football pyramid and we should see a few as they attempt to hurt Manchester City. 

Pep Guardiola’s side are usually excellent in possession. This has meant that their Premier League matches rank lowly in terms of throws. However, the average of 28.92 per City game this season is still above the line set by the bookmaker here. Moreover, our bet has won in their last eight away games in domestic cup competitions.

• Selection: Over 28.5 Throws In The Match (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.90
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

Birmingham vs Newcastle: Combative Affair in Brum

England, FA Cup, Saturday, 8th February, 17:45 (UK)

Birmingham are sitting pretty at the top of League One and are set for a return to the Championship if they can keep up this pace. The odds are against them as they gear up to face Newcastle in the FA Cup but the Blues will be keen to put their best foot forward. 

The Magpies are flying high after securing their place in the EFL Cup final by beating Arsenal 2-0 midweek. The Geordies haven’t won a trophy since 1955 so reaching the latter stages of the FA Cup is also hugely important. 

Chris Davies’ side’s league matches have seen an average of 34.22 tackles, the fifth most in the division and well above the league average of 32.4. There is no tackle data available for their game against Lincoln in the last round but we should see plenty here.

Newcastle overcame Bromley in their last FA Cup match and there was a whopping 45 tackles in that one. Eddie Howe’s side’s 14 away games across all competitions this season have seen an average of 35.93 tackles so over 32.5 appeals here. 

• Selection: Over 32.5 Tackles In The Match (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.90
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

Brighton vs Chelsea: The Seagulls Set to Respond

England, FA Cup, Saturday, 8th February, 20:00 (UK)

Brighton have lost their last five games against Chelsea but just one of those has been at the Amex Arena. This FA Cup clash offers them a great chance of redemption but the 7-0 loss against Nottingham Forest last weekend is a huge cause for concern. The Seagulls beat Norwich 4-0 in the last round of the cup and will need a stronger performance here. 

Chelsea came from a goal behind to beat West Ham 2-1 in their last outing. A poor festive period saw the Blues slip out of the title race but the FA Cup, along with the Europa Conference League, gives Enzo Maresca the chance to win a trophy in his first season at Stamford Bridge. 

The Seagulls are one of the most tackled teams in the Premier League this season, forcing an average of 20.21 per game. Their opponents have made 17 or more tackles in four of their last five competitive matches with an average of 19.

Maresca’s side made 22 tackles when they went toe-to-toe with Brighton earlier in the season. Chelsea made 21 tackles in their recent win over the Hammers and look set to make more than their fair share here. 

• Selection: Over 16.5 Tackles For Chelsea (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.90
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

Plymouth vs Liverpool: Argyle to Apply Some Pressure

England, FA Cup, Sunday, 9th February, 15:00 (UK)

Plymouth are enduring a woeful season in the Championship. Argyle managed to beat West Brom 2-1 last weekend but the disastrous start to the season under Wayne Rooney means they are still bottom of the second tier and destined to go down. 

Liverpool have a short turnaround for this fixture thanks to the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Tottenham but they are expected to win in style. Arne Slot has the club fighting on all fronts, picking up from where Jurgen Klopp left off. The Premier League and Champions League will be the priority but no fan would turn their nose up at FA Cup success. 

Argyle were able to force five goal kicks at Brentford in their last FA Cup game. They have home advantage this time around and are likely to fall behind, which should hopefully increase the opposition’s goal-kick count. 

The Reds are taking an average of 6.16 goal kicks per away game across all competitions this season. They are accustomed to taking on better opposition than Plymouth but Liverpool’s goal-kick numbers in the last round of the FA Cup offer some encouragement. Slot’s team had seven goal kicks as they beat Accrington Stanley.

• Selection: Over 4.5 Goal Kicks For Liverpool (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.72
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

FA Cup Props Acca Tips Odds via bet365 as at 11:07, February 6th, 2025. Odds may now differ.

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