- Man City are currently listed as favorites to win England’s FA Cup
- Will City be able to give the tournament their full attention?
- Which team offers the best value to win?
The oldest national football competition in the world, England’s FA Cup was first won in 1872 by Wanderers.
Last year the tournament had over 700 teams participate and saw Chelsea defeat Manchester United in the final.
This year the reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are tipped as favorites by the bookies with odds of +400 at Bovada.
Odds To Win FA Cup
| Team | Odds at Bovada |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | +400 |
| Liverpool | +600 |
| Chelsea | +700 |
| Manchester United | +800 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | +800 |
| Arsenal | +900 |
| Everton | +2000 |
| Leicester City | +2500 |
| Wolves | +2500 |
| West Ham | +3300 |
| Watford | +4000 |
| Southampton | +5000 |
| Bournemouth | +5000 |
| Crystal Palace | +5000 |
| Fulham | +6600 |
*For a full list please visit the link in the table
On Friday, the tournament’s Third Round begins, which sees Premier League teams take the pitch for the first time, having already gained automatic qualification to this stage.
As favorites to repeat as Premier League champions when the season began, as well as currently still favored to win Champions League, it’s no wonder City are also expected to have success in the FA Cup.
We finished an amazing 2018 strongly. So much history written for our club, so much to be proud of. Let’s look forward to 2019 and all the opportunities that lie ahead. 👊🏾#ManCity pic.twitter.com/MC9msCqCFL
— Vincent Kompany (@VincentKompany) December 30, 2018
Until recently, Man City had once again been atop the EPL table and are now into the Round of 16 of Champions League as well. A recent speed bump has seen the Cityzens drop to second with a record of 15-2-3.
The FA Cup, despite its long history has lost some of its luster over the years. With higher profile trophies on the line, bigger clubs often take the opportunity to rest players in the earlier stages of the tournament.
This means upsets are often in the cards and such was the case last season. Man City were eliminated in the Fifth Round to League One side Wigan, a team from two divisions below.
FA Cup: A Tournament To Look For Value
Winning the Premier League doesn’t necessarily correlate to success in the FA Cup.
The last time a team won both in the same season came back in 2010 when Chelsea completed the domestic double. Chelsea are the only side to do so in the past ten years.
A team from outside of England’s top league has not won since West Ham United in 1980
Picking the FA Cup winner may not be as simple as looking to the top of the EPL table. However, you likely need not look past picking a Premier League side. A team from outside of England’s top league has not won since West Ham United in 1980.
FA Cup Finalists 2009-2018
| Year | Winner | EPL Rank | Runner-Up | EPL Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Chelsea | 5 | Manchester United | 2 |
| 2017 | Arsenal | 5 | Chelsea | 1 |
| 2016 | Manchester United | 5 | Crystal Palace | 15 |
| 2015 | Arsenal | 3 | Aston Villa | 17 |
| 2014 | Arsenal | 4 | Hull City | 16 |
| 2013 | Wigan Athletic | 18 | Manchester City | 2 |
| 2012 | Chelsea | 6 | Liverpool | 8 |
| 2011 | Manchester City | 3 | Stoke City | 13 |
| 2010 | Chelsea | 1 | Portsmouth | 20 |
| 2009 | Chelsea | 3 | Everton | 5 |
In each of the past ten years the winner and finalist have come from the Premier League.
The runner-up can often come from anywhere in the EPL standings. Even 20th ranked Portsmouth, who had only 19 points, reached the final against Chelsea in 2010.
Avoid Teams With Heavy Fixture List
With Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham all still alive for the EPL title race, each league game will be extremely important.
Those three, plus Manchester United are also still competing in the Champions League. This means fixture lists will likely become congested in the new year.
Liverpool have arguably also drawn the toughest FA Cup Third Round opponent with fellow EPL side Wolverhampton. Bournemouth and Brighton are the only other Premier League sides to be facing off this round.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told Mason Greenwood to get ready for his debut against Reading in the FA Cup 3rd round.
Incase you've been living under a rock, this is why everyone is excited about him; his stats this season:
⚽️22 goals
🅰️9 assists🔥🔥🔥
🔴⚪⚫#MUFC pic.twitter.com/9ua3rZG6ed— Mohammed Anabtawi (@MoeAnabtawi) December 23, 2018
Both Chelsea and Arsenal are still participating in Europa League action. However, competition in that tournament is not nearly as high compared to Champions League.
The FA Cup winner will likely come down to which team is able to fully commit to winning it. The trophy could also be viewed as a consolation prize for a side who fails to finish top four in the EPL.
Arsenal will face Blackpool in the 3rd round of the FA Cup after they beat Solihull 3-2 after extra time in their 2nd round replay. pic.twitter.com/QH0SrXbhGA
— AFTV🎅🏿 (@AFTVMedia) December 19, 2018
Best Bets To Lift The FA Cup
The past three years a fifth place EPL team has won, which right now presents Arsenal or Manchester United as your best value plays.
After a disappointing start to the season, and a likely exit from the Champions League against French side PSG, winning the FA Cup could be something for new Man U boss Ole Gunner Solskjaer to motivate his side to shoot for.
“We never quit, we know that we are a great team, and if we are focused we can do everything, we can win against whoever.”@Raul_Jimenez9 on Wolves' desire to win and spirit amongst the squad. #TOTWOL
— Wolves (@Wolves) December 30, 2018
As a longshot, look to Wolverhampton, who are currently paying +2500 at Bovada. The newly promoted side rank seventh in the EPL and have more than held their own against top competition this season.
Wolves have defeated Chelsea and Tottenham, while they drew to the likes of Man City, Man United, and Arsenal.
They will also have the advantage of hosting Liverpool just four days after Liverpool travel to Manchester to face City it a match with massive title implications.
FA Cup Bets: Manchester United +800, Arsenal +900, Wolves +2500
The post Manchester City Favored to Win 2018-19 FA Cup appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.
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