FA Cup second round: Exiles look too hot for Bees; Pick Posh for Rovers coup
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FA Cup betting tips from the second round
The road to Wembley continues this weekend as the lesser lights look to book a potentially lucrative tie in the third round of the FA Cup.
There are 10 non-league teams still in with a chance of joining Premier League and Championship teams in the third-round draw, including Horsham who were given a reprieve after Barnsley fielded an ineligible player during their replay in West Sussex.
We have picked out four of Saturday’s second-round games for our FA Cup betting tips which can be backed in an acca at more than 22/1.
Newport v Barnet
The pick of our FA Cup selections comes from Rodney Parade where Newport are 5/4 to beat a National League side for the second successive time, having dispatched Oldham 2-0 in the first round.
Last weekend, the Exiles ended Stockport’s sensational 12-game winning run in League Two with a 2-1 victory at this ground and on Tuesday won at Morecambe by the same scoreline to edge closer to the top half of the table.
Barnet’s promotion bid has stalled in recent weeks, with Saturday’s 3-2 loss at Wealdstone their fourth successive defeat which has left them 11 points adrift of leaders Chesterfield in third place.
Barnet lost 4-1 at home to Oldham in their previous match, so comparing the outcome of both teams in their meetings with the Latics, a home win looks on the cards as our first selection.
Blackpool v Forest Green
The Tangerines eased into round two with a 2-0 win at National League side Bromley, but will need to bounce back from Tuesday’s 2-1 home defeat by Northampton if they are to overcome Forest Green.
Neil Critchley described his players’ performance against the Cobblers as “lethargic” which came just three days after they had trounced League One leaders Portsmouth 4-0 at Fratton Park.
Forest Green needed a replay against sixth-tier Scarborough Athletic to reach this stage and they are winless in their last four League Two games, a run which has left them second from bottom in the Football League.
They have lost four of their last five away games in the fourth tier, so we’re going with Blackpool to win and over 2.5 goals at 23/20 as the next of Saturday’s FA Cup betting tips.
Peterborough v Doncaster
League One promotion hopefuls Peterborough needed a penalty shoot-out to advance to the second round after a thrilling 4-4 draw with Salford in the replay.
Posh have lost just one of their 13 games in the third tier and on Tuesday fought back from a 2-0 half-time deficit to draw 2-0 at high-flying Stevenage after which home manager Steve Evans described his side’s opponents as the “best team in the league”.
Peterborough had previously crushed Cambridge and Burton 5-0 and 4-0 respectively, so they are bang in form ahead of the clash with Rovers, who have lost seven of their nine away games in League Two.
Seven of those games on the road involved three or more goals, so Peterborough to win that way at 20/21 is the next of our FA Cup betting tips.
Stevenage v Port Vale
Boro were involved in a thrilling 4-3 victory over League Two strugglers Tranmere in round one, but are expected to settle for a more routine win against Port Vale on Saturday afternoon.
Tuesday’s 1-0 home defeat by Derby extended the winless run of Andy Crosby’s side to 11 games during which they scored just six times, so it’s cleay they lack the firepower to trouble Stevenage.
The teams drew 0-0 when the teams met at Broadhall Way in League One last month and Vale’s last 10 matches have involved three goals or fewer, just like their two FA Cup matches against Burton, the first of which ended goalless before they prevailed 2-0 at the Pirelli Stadium.
With that in mind, Stevenage to win and under 3.5 goals at 6/4 concludes our FA Cup betting tips.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
