FA Cup Betting Odds
- The latest fixtures are shown below, bet per game or on the eventual winner. more odds hereThe FA Cup will offer some of the longest odds on match results in any season. If you think you can selects wins, draws or predict scores? And want the best online account opening offers then see our top UK Betting Sites and offers from each bookmaker, where you can get up to £200 as an initial welcome matched bonus. The latest FA Cup betting odds for all fixtures are here, along with the odds and returns for placing a £10 bet on a home win, draw or an away win.
Betting on the FA Cup
It's never been easier to bet on the action in the FA Cup. Online bookmakers offer a huge range of betting markets on the competition, with almost all offering in-play betting so you can improve your chances of walking away with a profit.
The most popular type of bet to make is on the Outright Winner. As the name suggests, here you just predict which team you think will win the cup and back them at the odds on offer.
For example, if you fancy Tottenham Hotspur to win the FA Cup and you put £10 on them at odds of 7/1, you will walk away with £80 including your initial stake if they do go to Wembley and lift the trophy.
Alternatively, try putting money on individual matches as this way you stand the best chance of winning big from an upset. Sign up for several online betting accounts and shop around for the best odds and take full advantage of in-play betting to either cash in your winnings early and so avoid losing them altogether or to cut your losses on a bet gone bad.
Who to Look Out For in 2014/15 FA Cup
Despite being famous for instances of giant-killing, England's biggest teams almost always dominate the FA Cup, with smaller clubs usually only making it into the fourth round or, occasionally, to the semi-finals.
Manchester United and Arsenal have won the competition more than any other clubs and so expect them to do well again in 2014/15. Similarly, Chelsea and Manchester City will also be strong contenders for the cup, not least since they have strong squads that can cope with the demands of playing in several different competitions.
If you're looking out for a one-off shock, then smaller clubs are more likely to cause an upset when they are playing at home. Plus, look out for teams with good cup pedigree such as Milwall, Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Yeovil Town, who hold the record for the most victories over league opposition by a non-league team.
You can get good odds on “giant killing” results or even draws on games where on paper the lower division team should have little chance.
FA Cup
Officially known as the Football Association Challenge Cup, the FA Cup is the most famous knockout football competition in the world. It’s run by The FA and is still the cup competition that everyone in England and Wales wants to win.
While it may be nowhere near as important as the winning the Premier League trophy or the Champions League, it's still highly prestigious and so all of the biggest teams in English football want to win it.
But that doesn't mean that it's always dominated by the same big names. Indeed, one of the most-appealing aspects of the FA Cup is that it often sees clubs from the lower tiers of English football take on the big boys, often with surprising results.
As well as the traditional FA Cup, a FA Women's Cup is also held every year, though this is not yet as popular as the older competition. As well as attracting a large TV audience at home, the FA Cup also has a huge global following, both as it features the best teams and players from the Premier League and due to the fact there's the (admittedly small) possibility of a 'minnow' beating a big name in an act of 'giant-killing' and even going all the way to the final.
Current Format
The FA Cup is open to all teams who play in the Premier League and the top five steps of the FA's National League System. This means that small, local amateur teams can, in theory, play against giants such as Manchester United and Liverpool.
Under the current format there are a total of 14 rounds in the competition, with these divided into six qualifying rounds and six proper rounds. The qualifying rounds are organised on a regional basis, starting off with teams from the National League System.
Starting in August, the smallest teams in the country battle it out in an Extra Preliminary Round, followed by a Preliminary Round and then the First Qualifying Round, at which stage teams from the Conference North and the Conference South are thrown into the pot.
Teams from the Conference Premier join in the Fourth Qualifying Round, with 32 teams then going into the First Round Proper. At this stage, the 48 teams from League One and League Two are added to the competition and then, in the Third Round Proper, teams from the Premier League and the Championship join.
All matches follow the same format. Here's what you need to know:
- The draw for each round is entirely random; there is no seeding system in the FA Cup – this brings up great odds for some games.
- Ties are held over just one leg. The team drawn first is the home team and the match will be played at their ground.
- If the match is tied after 90 minutes, a replay is held, usually at the ground of the team who were away in the first game.
- If a replay is drawn after 90 minutes, then a match will be decided in either extra time or, if the scores are still tied after a further 30 minutes has been played, through penalties.
- Both the semi-finals and the final are held at Wembley Stadium in London.
- The winners of the FA Cup automatically qualify for the UEFA Europa League. If, however, the winners have already qualified for the Champions League through their final position in the Premier League, the Europa League place will be given to the cup runners-up.
- The FA Cup holders also qualify for the FA Community Shield, the traditional season-opener against the reigning Premier League champions.
Want more on the FA then read our guide to the History of the FA Cup, for more facts and stats.
