FA Cup first round predictions, betting tips and odds
Sheppey’s first-ever FA Cup first-round tie has the potential to be the sight of one of several giant-killings to look out for on UK football betting sites over the course of the weekend.
We’ve picked out a few more teams that have the potential to upset their more illustrious opponents as part of our FA Cup first round betting preview, starting with a non-league team synonymous with the competition.
Hereford vs Gillingham predictions
(3pm Saturday)
It’s easy to be sucked into blindly backing Hereford when it comes to the FA Cup given their pedigree, but there’s the genuine potential for an upset against League Two Gillingham on Saturday.
The Bulls are enjoying a good run of form in the National League North, moving to within three points of a play-off place with three wins in the last five games.
They’ve been excellent at Edgar Street, winning five on the bounce in all competitions and in Alex Babos, they have a striker in decent form with three goals in his last three games.
The Gills are under new management after sacking Neil Harris and replacing him with Stephen Clemence, who is getting his first crack at a head coaching role.
Clemence inherits a team that’s lost six of its last seven away games, has a lengthy injury list and is shipping goals at a rather alarming rate.
The new manager bounce may save Gillingham from an early exit but Hereford have shown enough to suggest they may at least force a replay and are 27/20 in Unibet’s double chance market.
Marine vs Harrogate predictions
(3pm Saturday)
Two years ago, Marine went all the way to the third round of the FA Cup, landing a plum home draw against Tottenham.
Due to Covid, no fans were allowed to attend the game, but they still raised over £300,000 from the tie, which has been pumped back into the club.
The Mariners are now in the Northern Premier League and going well ahead of first-round tie against struggling Harrogate Town.
The North Yorkshire outfit reside in the lower reaches of League Two and have lost their last two games, with the latter of those defeats proving particularly costly as they lost first-choice goalkeeper Mark Oxley to injury.
The Sulphurites have issues at both ends of the field as League Two’s second-lowest scorers and are opposed here by a Marine team that’s won seven out of nine at home this season and can finally have their FA Cup day in the sun in front of supporters.
Sutton United vs AFC Fylde predictions
(3pm Saturday)
Sutton United are favourites amongst bookmakers to be relegated from League Two this season and could be joining AFC Fylde in the National League next season.
Matt Gray’s team were expected to struggle this term after losing some key players in the summer and are currently bottom of the Football League.
They did collect just their third win of the season last time out against Bradford but still look vulnerable for this tie against an in-form Fylde.
The Coasters were bottom of the National League at the start of October when they sacked Adam Murray.
Interim boss Chris Beech has completely transformed their fortunes, winning three out of his four games in charge.
The Lancashire outfit have been scoring goals for fun under Beech, netting 11 during his brief tenure, and are our third selection on new betting sites to avoid defeat at Sutton.
Bromley vs Blackpool predictions
(BBC Two, 5.30pm Saturday)
It’s not just potential upsets that catch the eye when examining FA Cup odds with League One Blackpool’s price of even money to win at Bromley a standout.
The Seasiders have recently slipped out of the play-off places and were left frustrated by Wednesday's 3-3 draw with Fleetwood on Wednesday, where they came from behind to lead 3-2, only to concede a late equaliser.
Bromley are going well in the National League, sitting third in the table, and it’s easy to see why the BBC chose this fixture to be broadcast.
Bromley have won four on the spin in all competitions and are on an incredible eight-game winning run at Hayes Lane.
But the Ravens' FA Cup record is patchy at best, never previously progressing beyond the first round with Rotherham running out 3-0 winners the last time they hosted third tier opposition.
Bromley's success has been built on a solid defensive foundation but they face a stiff test against a Blackpool strikeforce led by Jordan Rhodes, who has nine goals this season.
That extra attacking quality should help the Seasiders progress to round two at evens with BetMGM.
Chesterfield vs Portsmouth predictions
(ITV1, 12.15pm Sunday)
One of the ties of the round features League One leaders Portsmouth going to National League table-toppers Chesterfield in a game that promises plenty of goals.
Pompey, who are unbeaten in League One this season, boast Colby Bishop amongst their attacking ranks with the 26-year-old bagging his ninth of the league campaign in last weekend’s win over Reading.
National League top scorers Chesterfield have the infamous Will Grigg spearheading their attack and he’s got a history of notching giant-killing goals in the FA Cup.
Grigg bagged the winner for Wigan when they dumped out Manchester City as a League One side in 2018 and finished as the competition’s top scorer with seven goals that season.
He may have dropped down the divisions since then but the ‘Will Grigg is on fire’ chants still hold up with the Northern Irishman scoring eight goals in 16 appearances for Chesterfield this season.
Grigg has scored in two of his last three appearances for the Spireites and can rekindle his FA Cup love affair by obliging as an any time goalscorer at 21/10 with William Hill
You can bet on the FA Cup first round across a wide variety of betting sites, many of which have free bet offers for new customers available when you sign-up.
Chris is an experienced sports betting writer who has worked with most major bookmakers and national media outlets, such as Racing Post and ITN. He covers a wide range of sports with his favourites being NFL, rugby, football and Formula 1.
