Birmingham Are Unbeaten at Home: The FA Cup 4th Round Underdog to Watch?

The 2024/25 FA Cup 4th Round is here. Which underdogs are most likely to cause an upset against their more famous opponents?

5 Potential FA Cup Upsets for Bettors to Watch this Weekend

We’re down to the last 32 of this season’s FA Cup. As we approach the 4th Round weekend, attention turns to finding the next big upsets which define the competition.

Few could argue that the FA Cup has lost its sparkle in the last decade or two. Many of the top sides in the Premier League view it as an opportunity to rotate their squads and keep key men fresh for the league, as well as any European competitions. This gives savvy sports bettors like us a great opportunity to find value in the FA Cup markets this weekend.

44 clubs have won the FA Cup. Which underdogs have a chance of taking a step closer to Wembley by landing a 4th Round upset?

Coventry City vs Ipswich Town: Lampard's Blues to Topple Tractor Boys?

Frank Lampard has had a positive impact since replacing Coventry’s long-serving boss, Mark Robins. The Sky Blues had won four Championship games back-to-back, prior to their 2-0 home defeat to table-topping Leeds on Wednesday night.

They are back in contention for the playoff places and building confidence under their new manager. Their FA Cup 4th Round opponents, Ipswich, suffered a demoralizing 2-1 home defeat to bottom club Southampton last weekend. The Tractor Boys are three points adrift of safety in the Premier League.

It’s not yet known whether Kieran McKenna will rest key players or pick a strong starting XI to try and build some momentum. Either way, they’ll be vulnerable to a Coventry side with their own momentum, playing in front of a packed Coventry Building Society Arena.

Birmingham City vs Newcastle United: League One Title Hopefuls Could Knock Out Distracted Magpies

Chris Davies’ Birmingham City have spent big bucks by League One standards. The Blues’ American ownership was determined to secure an immediate return to the EFL Championship. After 27 games, they’ve lost just twice and are four points clear at the summit with two games in hand.

They will relish the visit of Premier League Newcastle United to St. Andrew’s at Knighthead Park this weekend. The Blues are undefeated on home soil this season, averaging 2.54 points per game.

Admittedly, Newcastle are in great form themselves. The Magpies are averaging 2.25 points per game from their last eight Premier League fixtures. They also secured a place in the League Cup final this week by defeating Arsenal 4-0 overall.

However, this could lead to Eddie Howe resting some of his first-choice players this weekend, with Champions League qualification and landing League Cup silverware likely to take precedence here.

Blackburn Rovers vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Rovers Eye Cup Win to Revive Season

Blackburn Rovers are still inside the Championship playoff places, but they’ve certainly lost some momentum in recent weeks. John Eustace’s side have lost four of their last five games, so an FA Cup 4th Round tie at home to Premier League Wolves could be an ideal opportunity to get their playoff push back up and running.

Rovers’ home form has been the foundation of their season so far, averaging 1.81 points per home game, compared with 1.07 points per away game. Eustace will hope to see Ewood Park excited for a chance to reach the last 16 of the FA Cup.

As for Wolves, their fine home win over Aston Villa has pushed them out of the Premier League relegation places. It’s given Vitor Pereira’s men some much-needed advantage. After their gruelling exploits against Villa, it’s likely Pereira will rest most of his key players, namely Matheus Cunha, who remains their focal point in attack.

Doncaster Rovers vs Crystal Palace: Donny Soar, Set to Challenge Rotated Palace

On paper, League Two vs Premier League looks like a straightforward away win. However, Doncaster Rovers are in second spot in League Two. They are also on a run of four straight victories.

They have a league game with Chesterfield on Thursday night, but they’ll still have three days of recovery to prepare for hosting Palace on Monday evening.

Palace boss, Oliver Glasner, has already confirmed Eberechi Eze will be rested for the trip to South Yorkshire. It’s likely that the Eagles will be much-changed from their 2-0 win at Manchester United. First-choice forward, Jean-Philippe Mateta will probably be rested for Eddie Nketiah, while young midfielder Justin Devenny will be pushing for a start.

Preston North End vs Wycombe Wanderers: In-form Chairboys Eager to Impress New Boss Dodds

Wycombe Wanderers are four points clear of third-placed Wrexham in the race for automatic promotion out of League One. The Chairboys have lost just four games all season and are comfortably the league’s top scorers, bagging 55 goals in 29 games.

A trip to mid-table Championship side Preston North End represents an opportunity for Wanderers to prove they belong in the second tier. There’s a second incentive for Wycombe players too, with new boss, Mike Dodds, sure to run the rule over his squad at Deepdale.

Preston are 15th in the Championship and the league’s draw specialists, with 13 in 30 games. Paul Heckingbottom’s side lost their Lancashire derby at Blackburn last weekend and the Lilywhites won't be intimidated by Wycombe given their current mindset.