Chorley v Derby prediction & betting tips brought to you by football expert Tom Love.
- Derby will have to field a youth team here due to their first team having positive COVID tests.
- Chorley have scored 2 or more goals in 3 of their 4 FA Cup games.
- Chorley have conceded in 3/4 FA Cup games.
12:15 Saturday
Betting Tip: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals
It’s been a bizarre lead up to this one with the game still scheduled to go ahead despite no first teamer able to play for Derby due to a COVID outbreak at the club, youth team manager Pat Lyons is going to take over the side and bring his youngsters with him to the National League North outfit. It makes the betting heat a bit of an unknown. Chorley did open at around 10/1 but are now into 11/8 favourites.
Derby do have an impressive academy structure at the club, many of them have come through to impress in the first team. Louie Sibley and Max Bird are probably the two standouts in that regard but the likes of Morgan Whittaker, Festy Ebosele and Jahmal Hector-Ingram all could be next in line to make the step up, but even they may have been training with the first team so it’s tricky to work out what kind of side they’ll put out.
Instead of backing a winner here I’m more inclined to take a goals-based approach with both teams to score and over 2.5 goals looking a good way in at 4/5.
