FA Cup
FA Cup Betting Guide: Tips, Fixtures, and Predictions
With the 2023/24 English football season almost upon us we will be taking a look at one of England’s biggest (and football’s oldest) competitions as we take a deep dive into the FA Cup fixtures, betting tips and predictions for 2023/24.
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What is the FA Cup?
The FA Cup is a domestic knockout tournament in which every level of the English football pyramid competes. It is also football’s oldest tournament.
Key Facts and Rules of the FA Cup
The FA Cup is one of two major domestic trophies competed for by English teams, plus a selection of Welsh clubs, and is considered to be one of the most prestigious trophies in world football.
729 teams compete in the FA Cup every year with 637 competing in the qualifying phase, and 124 competing in the main competition. Teams as low as level nine in the English football pyramid can compete.
Where and When is the FA Cup?
This season’s FA Cup runs from the beginning of the six-round qualifying competition which starts on the 4th of August, until the final on the 25th of May 2024.
Up until the semi-final stage all matches are played at the home ground of the home team, with replays played at the other team’s home venue. Both semi-finals are played at Wembley Stadium, with the final also held at the home of English football.
Criteria and format of the FA Cup
Teams as low as the ninth division in the English football pyramid can compete in the FA Cup qualifying stage provided, they play in either the FA Trophy or FA Vase competitions in the current season. Clubs in the top four division automatically enter as early as the ‘First Round Proper’, where the bottom 48 ranked clubs from League Two and League One enter. Entry is staggered on from this until the final 20 Premier League teams enter the competition at the third round.
The FA Cup is a straight knockout competition and from this season onwards there will be no replays from the fifth round onwards. In the event of a draw in any game, normal time will be followed by extra time and then a penalty shootout.
Important facts and rules to know about the FA Cup
The FA Cup is a single-elimination tournament, meaning that teams play only one game per round. If the match ends in a draw, a replay is played at the away team’s home venue.
Replays have always steeped in the tradition of the FA Cup with some of the greatest matches ever coming in replays, such as the two finals in 1970 between Chelsea and Leeds United.
However, replays in the later rounds have now been scrapped due to fixture congestion and there will only be replays in matches prior to the fifth round.
Winning the FA Cup also grants entry into the Europa League as well as a place in next season’s Community Shield.
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Teams in FA Cup 2023/2024
There are 729 teams ranging from level nine of the English football pyramid all the way up to the Premier League competing in this season’s FA Cup. All of the country’s biggest clubs will be competing in the latter rounds and will be hoping to get their name on the prestigious trophy.
Top Teams and Players in the FA Cup
Top teams:
Arsenal – Arsenal are the most successful team in FA Cup history with 14 titles. There success in not limited to one period with their first title coming in 1930, as well as winning the tournament as recently as 2020.
Manchester United – As one of the biggest clubs in world football it’s no surprise that Manchester United have found success in the FA Cup with 12 wins over a 117 year period.
Chelsea – Chelsea have a love hate relationship with the FA Cup as they have won the competition eight times but have lost the final just as many times and recently became the first team to lose three finals in a row between 2020 and 2022.
Liverpool – Liverpool also have eight FA cups to their name and won the competition as recently as 2022 when they beat Chelsea on penalties in the final.
Tottenham – The third and final team to have lifted the FA Cup on eight occasions, Tottenham don’t have much recent history so boast in the competition with their last victorious campaign coming over 30 years ago.
Manchester City – Manchester City have seven titles to their name and are also the current holders as of their victory over Manchester United in this year’s final.
Top players:
Ashley Cole – Ashley Cole is the most successful player in FA Cup history having lifted the trophy a whopping seven times. He found his first success in the competition with Arsenal, winning three titles with the Gunners. His success didn’t slow down after his move to Chelsea as he won the competition a further four times with the Blues.
John Terry – John Terry was a member of the Chelsea side with which Ashley Cole won his four FA Cup titles, but the Blues’ captain was also a member of the Chelsea side that lifted the trophy in the 1999/2000 season which takes his tally to five, the most by a player at a single club.
Patrick Vieira – Patrick Vieira is the only other player to have five FA Cup victories to his name, winning four of them with Arsenal and picking up his fifth in the 2010/11 season with Manchester City towards the back end of his career.
How to Bet on the FA Cup
Betting on the FA Cup is similar to betting on any other football competition with many markets available such as betting on the outright winner of the competition or individual matches within it.
The FA Cup has many markets which you would find in any other football competition. These include match betting which involves betting on the result of a single match, over/under betting which involves betting on the amount of goals to be scored in a single match, and outright betting which involves betting on the winner of the competition.
It is important to research a team’s league form when looking at betting on the FA Cup as if a team is struggling in the league, they may brush cup competitions to one side to focus on their league form, making them less likely to win the cup match.
It is also important to look at a team’s form specifically in the FA Cup. For example, Chelsea have been very successful in every competition over the last 10 years but have struggled in recent FA Cup finals. This could mean betting on an underdog, like Leicester City, were in the 2021 final against Chelsea, could provide good value given Chelsea’s poor form in the competition.
FA Cup Fixtures and Schedule
With this season’s FA Cup getting underway imminently we list below the key fixtures and dates for the 2023/24 FA Cup.
Extra Preliminary Round – Saturday 5 August 2023
Preliminary Round – Saturday 19 August 2023
First Round Qualifying – Saturday 2 September 2023
Second Round Qualifying – Saturday 16 September 2023
Third Round Qualifying – Saturday 30 September 2023
Fourth Round Qualifying – Saturday 14 October 2023
First Round – Saturday 4 November 2023
Second Round – Saturday 2 December 2023
Third Round – Saturday 6 January 2024
Fourth Round – Saturday 27 January 2024
Fifth Round – Wednesday 28 February 2024
Quarter-final – Saturday 16 March 2024
Semi-final – Saturday 20 April 2024
The Final – Saturday 25 May 2024
FA Cup Betting Strategies
There are lots of ways to go about betting on the FA Cup and some of the best strategies. These include betting on sides who are in-form and sides with large squads as they will be able to name a stronger side, or teams with less to play for in their league competitions as they will be less likely to rest players in the cup to save their fitness for league matches if they have nothing left to play for in their league.
There are many factors to consider when betting on the FA Cup, these include team form, home advantage, injuries and suspension, and head-to-head records.
Team form is key as teams on bad form in the league may be likely to play a weakened side in cup matches in order to rest players in an attempt to improve their league form, whereas teams on good form are likely to play a stronger side to continue their good run.
Home advantage plays a huge role in the FA Cup with fans desperate to see their teams’ lift silverware the crowd can have an even bigger impact in the FA Cup.
It is important to keep up with a team’s injuries and suspensions as suspensions in the FA Cup can carry over from league matches. If a player receives a red card in a league match and the club’s next match is in the FA Cup, then the player will be banned for that match as suspensions apply across all domestic competitions. It is also important to keep up with injury news to get a better idea of the team that will line-up in a club’s FA Cup fixture.
Head-to-head records are less important in the early stages of the FA Cup as lots of teams from different leagues won’t have played each other recently, but when teams who are in the same league are pitted against each other it is important to consider the head-to-head form from league fixtures to give a better understanding of how the game might pan out.
Managing your bankroll is important in all sports betting, including FA Cup betting. It is important to set a budget for your bets and stick to it, regardless of whether you are winning or losing. It is important to prevent chasing losses.
FA Cup Betting Tips and Predictions
It is no surprise to see Manchester City heading the market for the FA Cup outright winner at 3/1 given that they are the best team in the world and the current holders. Even at those odds, the Cityzens still present good value.
One of the better value bets in the market could be with Chelsea at 9/1. Last season wasn’t the Blues’ finest, but with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm they look to have gained confidence, and have already shown cup form by beating high-flying Brighton in the third round of the League Cup earlier this season. They are serial FA Cup finalists and with a large squad, fitness shouldn’t be an issue.
However, it is also important to do your own research. Before placing a bet on the FA Cup make sure your decision is well informed and well researched to give you a better chance at placing a successful bet.
FA Cup First Round Tips
With the first round of this season’s FA Cup finally upon us, we are going to take a look at some of this weekend’s notable matchups.
Those who enjoy an underdog story in the FA Cup will surely remember the name Marine, a seventh division team who reached the third round in 2020/21 where their run came to an end at the hands of Tottenham. This year they have made it to the first round and at 9/2 these FA Cup specialists have every chance of overturning their underdog status against League Two Harrogate Town.
Exeter City v Wigan is one of the higher profile clashes in this year’s first round as these two League One teams go head-to-head at St James Park on Saturday 4th November. Both have had similar starts in the league as Wigan sit three points behind their opponents having played one game fewer. Wigan travelled down to Exeter no longer than two weeks ago, inflicting a 2-0 defeat on the home side and at 2/1 we’re siding with the Latics to get the better of Exeter once again.
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FA Cup Betting Promotions and Offers
As with all major football competitions we offer specials and offers on the FA Cup so be sure to keep out for those extra markets in addition to our standard outright and matches markets.
