FA Cup BettingChoice Preview

It's the time of year when we hear all about the magic of the FA Cup, the smaller clubs having the day, and so on and so on. Well, there may be the odd upset here and there but ultimately the FA Cup has become very much like the Premier League.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Over the past nine years only four different clubs have won the competition, and it doesn't take a massive amount of intelligence to work out who the winners are. For the record it is Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool. Quite understandably it is these four clubs that head the betting, and it is in fact the favourites who are our main selection. Already chosen pre-season at 2/1 to win the Premiership, we shall take Chelsea to make it a domestic double. Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho has moulded a team that at the time of writing sits at the top of the Premiership seven points clear of Arsenal and nine points ahead of Manchester United. We know from the Carling Cup that Mourihno will treat the competition seriously and not rest players to save them for other competitions. Chelsea can be backed at 4/1. As mentioned above, the major clubs have dominated the FA Cup during the past decade. We shouldn't though totally discount all other clubs from the equation, as it is still possible for a club to put in a decent Cup run if the draw is favourable. Think back to last season when Millwall wound up at Cardiff as the perfect example of a team unexpectedly going deep into the competition. There are two clubs available at 20/1 that appeal. First of all Newcastle when all the major players are fit are capable of beating anyone on their day. Assuming they can defeat Yeading in the third round, by the time the fourth round arrives they should have a number of players back from injury. One of those players should be Alan Shearer who is desperate to win some silverware for his hometown club. With Champions League qualification looking increasingly unlikely, we can expect Newcastle to give it their all in search of that elusive trophy. The other team worth backing are Tottenham, who like Newcastle also have a few injuries at present. This though hasn't stopped them rocketing up the table with several fine performances, including a goalless draw at Old Trafford. Spurs look to be enjoying their football at present under Jol, and when Defoe and Kanoute return to full fitness will present an even bigger challenge to future opponents. Tottenham begin with a relatively simple home draw against Brighton. Free bets on the FA Cup VC Bet - fifty poundsBlueSquare - ten poundsBet365 - ten poundsStanleyBet - twenty five pounds