Win big with these accumulator tips for one of the biggest days in the UK’s football calendar – FA Cup third round Saturday.
12:15 Saturday
Liverpool continue their pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple as they welcome League Two minnows Accrington Stanley to Anfield.
Arne Slots's side have suffered setbacks in their chase of the Premier League and Carabao Cup, drawing 2-2 at home to Manchester United in the league and losing 1-0 at Tottenham in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final.
Still, the Reds are in a strong position and will see Saturday’s game as the perfect chance to rotate some fatigued players.
Slot has shown his willingness to rotate in the EFL Cup, playing rotated sides in the narrow wins at Brighton and Southampton and Saturday should be no different. Still, Liverpool should have too much quality for Stanley.
The visitors will enjoy their day out but will be hard-pressed to find any joy on the pitch. They currently sit 19th in League Two, with their 24 goals conceded away from home the most in the division.
Liverpool have conceded just eight goals in 10 home games this season so they should have no problems keeping a clean sheet against a struggling League Two side.
Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley – Liverpool to Win & BTTS No @ 1.57
15:00 Saturday
Norwich meet Brighton at Carrow Road for the first time since the two 0-0 draws in the 2020/2021 season. A lot has changed since then and goals look guaranteed in this meeting.
Norwich have scored 43 goals in the Championship this season – a total only bettered by leaders Leeds. They have however conceded 37 goals, with their games averaging over three goals a game.
If the Canaries are to qualify for the playoffs, it would be their home form to thank, picking up 23 points from 13 games, scoring a league-high 31 goals in the process, with games at Carrow Road averaging 3.7 goals.
Both teams to score has landed in 11/13 home games, with Norwich only failing to score on one occasion in front of their fans. They host a Brighton side who have seen BTTS land in 8/10 away league games – scoring in all 10.
The Seagulls have also had entertaining cup games, beating Wolves 3-2 before losing to Liverpool by the same scoreline.
The injury issues for The Seagulls continue to mount up, with as many as 10 first-team players absent for the trip east. Fabian Hurzeler has also stated Jason Steele is set to start – a keeper who is prone to errors.
With two centre-backs injured and the backup goalkeeper starting, Brighton may be hard-pressed to keep a clean sheet against a potent Norwich side. Still, Albion should have too much quality for their Championship counterparts.
15:00 Saturday
Like in the early stages of the Carabao Cup, Chelsea again have a favourable home tie against struggling League Two opposition with struggling Morecambe making the trip to West London.
The large turnover in the transfer market for Chelsea has essentially left Enzo Maresca with two different squads, with his strongest playing in the Premier League and the fringe players lining up in the cup.
Despite signing for £52 million last season, Christopher Nkunku has found consistent game time hard to come by, due to a combination of poor form and injury issues. The 27-year-old should start on Saturday as he did in the previous two cup games and 5/6 Conference League games.
Nkunku has scored twice in 391 Premier League minutes, also scoring a hat trick in the 5-0 demolition of Barrow earlier in the season. In the Conference League, he’s scored seven goals in 533 minutes, so has taken his chances against minnows when given the chance.
Morecambe are currently 23rd in League Two, four points from safety. In the first round of the EFL Cup away at League One Huddersfield they were 1-0 down in under a minute, losing 3-0. A similar scoreline is expected for Chelsea who beat Barrow 5-0 after being 3-0 up at halftime.
Chelsea vs Morecambe – Christopher Nkunku to Score Anytime @ 1.73
15:00 Saturday
Reading come into this game as heavy underdogs against promotion-chasing Burnley, but the Royals will be full of confidence after a strong run of form under interim manager Noel Hunt. The Irishman has taken 10 points from his last four games, winning both home games in this run.
His side sit sixth in League One, boasting the second-best home record, picking up 27 points from a possible 33. They face a tough test against second-place in the Championship Burnley but will take solace in Scott Parker’s poor record as a manager in the cup.
The 44-year-old has never made it past the 3rd round of the Carabao Cup and the fourth round of the FA Cup. His side were knocked out in their first game of the EFL Cup this season. Amid a gripping title battle, The Clarets are sure to rotate, while cash-strapped Reading will be thankful for the prize money should they win.
While Burnley have been relentless in their pursuit of a promotion back to the Premier League, they are not blowing teams away, with eight of their 14 wins coming by one-goal margins. Should they win by a goal again, the bet will be refunded, while a win or draw for the underpriced hosts will result in a winning bet.
18:00 Saturday
League One meets the Championship in an intriguing cup tie at Brisbane Road. Leyton Orient are the form team in the division at the moment, having won five in a row and nine of their last 10 in all competitions.
The O’s have always shown the making of a good team under Richie Wellens and it is finally starting to click for the 44-year-old, with his side now just four points off the playoffs.
League One is as strong as it has been for years, with financial powerhouses Birmingham and Wrexham facing stiff competition from dangerous sides such as Wycombe, Huddersfield and Barnsley.
For Orient to be in the playoff picture with the quality of the league is a testament to the strength of the league – especially compared to last year.
Derby County finished runners-up to Portsmouth en route to promotion back to the Championship. Paul Warne’s side have struggled on their return, losing four of their last five games as they sit 18th, four points above the drop zone.
While the Rams have picked up an impressive 20 points from 12 home games, their away record is pitiful, winning just once in 14 games – picking up just seven points.
With the bottom half of the Championship similar quality to the top half of League One, not that much separates the sides and Leyton Orient will fancy their chances of a mini cupset in front of a hopeful home crowd.
