FA Cup 3rd Round Predictions & Stuff

No Premier League for a change after a massive Christmas-New Year binge, so time for the FA Cup 3rd Round.

All the Premier League and Championship teams now join the best of the lower leagues in a festival of knockout football.

The FA Cup 3rd Round is one of our favourite rounds of sport for the year, but sadly each year, thanks to the glut of football, teams take it less seriously. 

So within the mix of teams from different divisions there is a mix of how many reserve or Under 23 players each team will play.

This makes tipping the FA Cup 3rd Round  reasonably hard, but that won’t stop us.

FA Cup 3rd Round Stuff

Here’s a few select general interest graphs heading into the weekend.

FA Cup 3rd Round Predictions 

SATURDAY

POTENTIAL CUPSETS

PRESTON v Norwich

ROTHERHAM v Hull

PETERBOROUGH v Burnley

FULHAM v Aston Villa

It won’t take too many changes to their line up for the Premier League sides to be in trouble in these games. Norwich are the worst away side in the EPL and Preston are the best home side in the Championship. If Jack Grealish is rightly rested for the FA Cup then they are in trouble against Fulham who have Mitrovic leading the scoring in the second tier with 18. Peterborough are leading the L1 scoring at 1.83 goals per game, so that may be tough for Burnley to handle. Rotherham are in form in L1 and up to second, so a potential headache for Hull, although they are in decent form themselves.

HOME SWEET HOME BANKERS

BRENTFORD v Stoke

WOLVES v Man Utd

OXFORD v Hartlepool

MILLWALL v Newport

WATFORD v Tranmere

LEICESTER v Wigan

CARDIFF v Carlisle

READING v Blackpool

These home sides have plenty to cover the visits of their respective teams, even if there is a little changing of the line ups. Wolves v Man Utd is the biggest debatable game in this batch we guess.

AWAY PAYS

NEWCASTLE v Rochdale

PORTSMOUTH v Fleetwood

Newcastle’s cup record of late may stink, but Rochdale are fourth worst at home in L1 and have lost four in a row. Portsmouth v Fleetwood is pretty even.

N.I.D – NO IDEA DRAWS

Birmingham v Blackburn

Brighton v Sheffield Wednesday

Bristol City v Shrewsbury

Southampton v Huddersfield

These sides are either too evenly matched or it is hard to know how serious either team will take it.

SUNDAY / MONDAY

POTENTIAL CUPSETS

MIDDLESBROUGH v Spurs

CREWE v Barnsley

EVERTON v Liverpool

GILLINGHAM v West Ham

LEEDS v Arsenal

NOT UPSETS

CRYSTAL PALACE v Derby

BURTON v Northampton

COVENTRY v Bristol Rovers

SWANSEA v QPR

CHELSEA v Nottingham Forest

WBA to beat Charlton

SHEFFIELD UTD v AFC Fylde

FA Cup 3rd Round Fixtures