‘It’s much more serious than that’ to paraphrase the great Bill Shankly. And while the FA Cup provides welcome relief from league pressures, there’ll be plenty of fans with shredded nerves on Merseyside this weekend.
And elsewhere, there are teams hoping to upset the betting odds with brave giant-killing acts to guarantee live betting action and drama nationwide.
FA Cup 3rd Round
When the draw for the third round was made, football fans agreed on the Merseyside Derby as the big one. It always is! And this time, the Toffees hope to spring a surprise.
The Handicap Betting market gives Liverpool a -1.25 goal handicap to even things up at odds of around 2.03, while Everton are at +1.25 @ 1.89. All the talk at Anfield is about the future of Philippe Coutinho, destined—sooner or later—for Barcelona. There’s also the big money arrival of Virgil van Dijk to sort out Jurgen Klopp’s defence.
Then add into the mix the Big Sam impact at Everton. If ever there was a guy to take the big names down a peg or two, then Sam’s the man. And Wayne Rooney will be like a kid in a sweetshop with the chance to fire his boyhood heroes to glory against the Reds.
Meanwhile, it looks like Romelu Lukaku could be fit for Manchester United to face Derby County. The Rams have charged up to second place in the Championship, with 14 points from six games, so this could be another tight affair for Red Devils fans.
Manchester City host Burnley and Pep Guardiola will need to juggle his squad as he hunts to sweep every trophy this season. A small mistake could give the Premier League’s own giant slayers a tiny opening, and the Clarets will fancy a tilt at the Cup.
On Sunday, the North London aristocrats must beware as well, particularly Arsenal who face a difficult visit to Nottingham Forest while Spurs host AFC Wimbledon.
There could also be some red faces this weekend, and I’ll be taking a cheeky look at Newcastle where the Geordies entertain Luton. Nathan Jones’ outfit are storming League Two, scoring 62 goals with hot shots Danny Hylton on 15 and James Collins on 11, while Newcastle are in a relegation battle and can’t afford injuries or suspensions. The same applies to West Ham, who have an unwelcome trip to Shrewsbury. The Shrews are going well in League One, up in second place.
Shrewsbury are available at 3.80 to win, while Luton are at 2.60 with a double chance of win or draw.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
