FA Cup Third Round: Best Bets for the Weekend Action

The Premier League takes a break this week for one of the most anticipated weekends of the season. Round three of the FA Cup sees the big guns join the party for the oldest and most prestigious cup competition in the world. As always, the draw is peppered with David vs Goliath clashes, but the clear standout comes at the Emirates Stadium and the showdown between fierce rivals Arsenal and Manchester United.

Here, using analysis presented by NewBettingSites.uk, we pick out our four best betting options for another cracking weekend of live televised football.

Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley – Saturday, 12:15 pm

Only 47 miles separates Liverpool and Accrington in the Northwest of England. However, the gap in quality between the football sides is significantly greater. Liverpool sit pretty at the top of the Premier League – 86 league places above Accrington Stanley, who currently occupy 19th position in League Two.

Given their relentless schedule – this game comes hot on the heels of a midweek Carabao Cup Semi-Final at Tottenham – it seems safe to say that Arne Slot will shuffle his pack considerably for this one, with the likes of Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa, and Tyler Morton likely to enjoy a runout. No matter who starts for the hosts, it’s impossible to predict anything other than a comfortable home win – hence odds of around 1/20 for the Reds to come out on top.

Needless to say, that type of price fails to set the pulse racing, whilst you need to go as high as Liverpool -4 before finding an odds against handicap wager. For our money, the best bet lies in the anytime goalscorer market, and the man to be on is the relentlessly energetic Harvey Elliott. Having initially appeared to be a big part of Slot’s first-team plans, an enforced injury absence has forced the 21-year-old down the pecking order. However, he remains a top talent and seems sure to find gaps in the Accrington defence with his well-timed runs. Also dangerous from outside the area, he looks a solid option to add to his only goal this season, which came in his only 90-minute outing at Southampton in the Carabao Cup.

• Best Bet - Harvey Elliott to Score Anytime @ 9/5 with BetMGM

Tamworth vs Tottenham Hotspur – Sunday, 12:30 pm

As ever the TV schedule leans heavily towards potential giant killing fixtures. First up on Sunday afternoon is this clash from Staffordshire as Spurs head to The Lamb to take on National League outfit Tamworth.

Spurs solid midweek home success over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup went some way towards alleviating the pressure on Ange Postecoglou. However, he possibly isn’t out of the woods just yet and defeat to such unheralded opponents wouldn’t help his cause. All of which makes predicting the Spurs line-up a little tricky. Ange would no doubt like to field a second-string side, given the injuries afflicting the club, but doing so may be a little too risky at present.

That said, we do expect to see a number of fringe players involved from the off which will likely disrupt Spurs' usual free-flowing attack. Tamworth have conceded one goal or less in each of their last six games here and may prove a tough nut to crack if, as expected, they adopt a defence-first approach. The gulf in class between the Premier League and National League should still be too much, but this may be a little closer than many expect.

• Best Bet - Handicap Betting Tamworth +1: Draw @ 18/5 with BetMGM

Arsenal vs Manchester United – Sunday, 3 pm

There is no doubt about the headline act in the third round. Arsenal vs Manchester United always sets the pulse racing. Throw in the knockout nature of the tie and this is a game not to be missed.

Arsenal head into the game bidding to bounce back from a midweek home defeat to Newcastle in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final – their first loss at the Emirates since April 2024. Before that, the Gunners were unbeaten in 13 in all competitions and appeared to have rediscovered their attacking mojo. Having beaten United without conceding in their two most recent meetings, Mikel Arteta’s men will likely be confident of dumping the holders out of the competition.

However, at long last, United eventually resembled a cohesive unit when picking up a point at Anfield last weekend and were possibly a little unfortunate not to grab all three points. Whilst that was an excellent result, they were greatly aided by major holes in the right-hand side of the Liverpool defence and may not find space so easy to come by here.

If we only look at the most recent game of the sides, United could be fancied to cause a shock here. However, Arsenal have scored two or more in ten of their last 15 at home, and really ought to have hit the net at least once against a bang-in-form Newcastle outfit. United have scored in ten of 14 on the road but have hit more than one on only five occasions. Overall, a home win with both teams to score looks like a solid call here.

• Best Bet - Arsenal to win and BTTS @ 5/2 with BetMGM

Newcastle United vs Bromley – Sunday, 3 pm

Our final stop takes us to Tyneside as former Newcastle United goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman takes League Two outfit Bromley to the Northeast.

Returning home following wins at Manchester United, Tottenham, and Arsenal, Eddie Howe’s men are seeking an eighth win on the spin in this one, with Alexander Isak enhancing his reputation with each passing game. However, with the Swede reportedly feeling his hamstring before coming off against Arsenal, he is unlikely to be risked here.

We would also be surprised to see fellow big hitters Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon, and the back-from-injury Sven Botman included from the start, which should hand a chance to the likes of William Osula and Harvey Barnes. The former may never get a better chance to open his Magpies account, but Barnes is the more reliable proposition and looks overpriced in the anytime scorer market. Barnes has scored three times from six starts in the Premier League this season, plus two goals from the bench, and will be keen to impress as he bids to force his way back into the side.

• Best Bet - Harvey Barnes to Score Anytime @ 17/10 with BetMGM

A £10 fourfold on the above selections returns with £1217.16 BetMGM

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