FA Cup
FA Cup First Round Predictions & Betting Tips (2025/26)
The first round of the FA Cup takes place across the first weekend of November.
None of the football betting favourites to win the competition are involved at this stage, but it is one of the biggest days in the calendar for non- and lower-league clubs.
Macclesfield are the only club making their debut in the first round. Founded in 2020, the Silkmen are a phoenix club of Macclesfield Town, which went under in after a high court ruling in September of the same year.
Hemel Hempstead Town, South Shields, and Spennymoor Town are one win away from setting a club record. None of the trio have gone further than the first-round proper in the FA Cup. Chatham Town are in the first round proper for the first time in 97 years.
The round kicks off with Jack Wilshere’s Luton Town hosting Robbie Savage’s Forest Green Rovers on Friday night. Luton are heavy favourites to win the match at 1/2.
Upset Watch
Higher-ranked teams getting toppled in the first round is a commonplace in the FA Cup.
Tamworth knocked out Huddersfield, Dagenham & Redbridge knocked out Crewe, and Wealdstone won away to Grimsby in 2024-25. Salford City, Harborough Town, Kettering Town, and Harrogate were among the other teams to overcome opponents from higher divisions.
Chelmsford City at home to Braintree, Chatham away to Buxton, Oldham hosting Northampton, Salford City facing Lincoln, and Slough Town against Altrincham are some of the standout fixtures with cupset potential in 2025-26.
At 8/1 away to Burton, St Albans are the biggest underdogs on Saturday. Maldon & Tiptree, 16/1 away to Port Vale, have the longest price across the entire first round.
Among home teams, Cheltenham are the biggest outsiders at 5/1 for the visit of Bradford. Thirteen teams are odds-on away from home.
Where To Watch the FA Cup First Round
Eight of the FA Cup first round fixtures are being broadcast on TV, starting with Luton Town against Forest Green Rovers on TNT on Friday.
TNT is also showing Chelmsford City against Braintree Town on Saturday.
South Shields hosting Shrewsbury Town, Port Value against Maldon & Tiptree, and Tamworth vs Leyton Orient are also being exclusively shown on TNT. The BBC is broadcasting Brackley Town vs. Notts County and Eastleigh vs. Walsall.
FA Cup 1st Round Fixtures
- Weston-super-Mare v Aldershot Town
- Salford City v Lincoln City
- Luton Town v Forest Green Rovers
- Gainsborough Trinity v Accrington Stanley
- Colchester United v Milton Keynes Dons
- Tranmere Rovers v Stockport County
- Wigan Athletic v Hemel Hempstead Town
- Newport County v Gillingham
- Cheltenham Town v Bradford City
- Barnsley v York City
- Reading v Carlisle United
- Bromley v Bristol Rovers
- Peterborough United v Cardiff City
- Oldham Athletic v Northampton Town
- Crewe Alexandra v Doncaster Rovers
- Tamworth v Leyton Orient
- Stevenage v Chesterfield
- Boreham Wood v Crawley Town
- Sutton United v AFC Telford United
- Bolton Wanderers v Huddersfield Town
- Chelmsford City v Braintree Town
- Spennymoor Town v Barrow
- Wycombe Wanderers v Plymouth Argyle
- Halifax Town v Exeter City
- Slough Town v Altrincham
- Wealdstone v Southend United
- Rotherham United v Swindon Town
- Grimsby Town v Ebbsfleet United
- Buxton v Chatham Town
- Burton Albion v St Albans City
- Brackley Town v Notts County
- Blackpool v Scunthorpe United
- Cambridge United v Chester
- AFC Wimbledon v Gateshead
- Mansfield Town v Harrogate Town
- Macclesfield v Truro City
- South Shields v Shrewsbury Town
- Fleetwood Town v Barnet
- Port Vale v Maldon & Tiptree
- Eastleigh v Walsall
