How To Bet on Favourites in the FA Cup 3rd Round

The bookmakers often struggle to price the FA Cup 3rd Round, allowing opportunities for bettors to side with the stronger Premier League clubs.

Odds courtesy of 1xBet. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

Brentford vs Plymouth Argyle: The Bees Too Strong At Home

Plymouth Argyle failed to register a single shot at Elland Road versus Leeds United in the Championship. Leeds are, arguably, the best the Championship has to offer. Leeds’ win-to-nil odds started at 1.80 on that day in November, offering a comparison to the current 2.37 odds.

Saturday’s away side have the worst away record in the Championship, returning three points and scoring three goals in 14 games. At the other end, they’ve conceded 35 goals. How will they keep Brentford out?

We know just how good Brentford are at home. The Bees have earned 22 points from ten games in the Premier League. Moreover, no team has scored more than 27 goals on home soil - Manchester City are next best with 21 goals

Thomas Frank is expected to field a strong lineup, as the club is eager for a cup run. Both Brentford and Crystal Palace have prioritised the FA Cup run this season. This mindset and approach from a Premier League club are essential to consider when approaching the third round.

Crystal Palace vs Stockport: Generously Priced and at Home

Stockport’s Isaac Olaofe, Fraser Horsfall, and Lewis Bate all join Louie Barry as the League One club’s current absentees. The latter, Barry, has been recalled from his loan by Aston Villa with the aim of getting him through the door of a Championship club. Without Barry on the field this season, Stockport have frequently appeared to lack creativity.

Barry leaving is a significant setback. The diminutive forward boasts 15 goals and two assists in 22 starts for Stockport in League One. He was the division’s leading scorer and Stockport’s chief creator, but that's no longer the case. Without Barry's influence on the field, alongside the aforementioned absentees, Stockport will struggle even more so against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

On the home side, we have a Premier League team finding their form in the top flight, performing well, and recently securing draws against Chelsea and Man City. Since the start of November, Palace have lost just two games in eleven outings. Based on recent form, they’d be sitting in 8th place in the Premier League if the division had kicked off in November.

This Crystal Palace team, with the inclusion of the likes of Will Hughes, Cheick Doucoure, Chris Richards and Eddie Nketiah, should be strong enough to cover the -1.5 handicap. No Premier League side playing League One opposition or below has a price so high at the -1.5 line.

Liverpool vs Accrington: Accrington’s Anfield Dilemma

Liverpool are likely to rotate their squad for Accrington Stanley’s visit, yet we can still expect to see some familiar faces. Kelleher, Connor Bradley, and Quansah should start, with the latter potentially lining up alongside Virgil van Dijk. Endo and Szoboszlai could receive minutes in midfield, whilst Harvey Elliot, Dioga Jota, and Darwin Nunez are in line to complete the front three.

Accrington are 19th in the fourth tier. The 24 goals conceded away from home in League Two is the most away from home in the division. They’re averaging 0.75 goals conceded in the first half per 90 this season when playing away. It’s fair to say that against Liverpool at Anfield, there should be two or three high-quality chances in the opening 45 minutes. If Liverpool seizes an early chance, anticipate them maintaining possession and keeping the ball away from Accrington, as the visitors become increasingly fatigued.

In the Premier League, Liverpool have conceded eight goals in ten home games. The Reds have kept a clean sheet in four of ten matches. Moreover, the 1.50 odds on Liverpool winning to nil is not the most considerable price, but it’ll be perfect to add to any doubles, trebles, or accumulators focused on the FA Cup 3rd Round.