FA Cup Tips

FA Cup betting has never been more popular thanks to the wide array of football odds available to punters across the country during FA Cup weekends. Being able to play FA Cup bets with ease and trigger big payouts through simple bet types is all part of the modern-day FA Cup.

This tournament, which stretches back more than a century, is littered with famous results. In fact, upsets in the FA Cup odds are frequent – and that’s what makes this tournament such a profitable platform for bettors.

If you’re seeking to win against-the-odds payouts while also banking on the big boys to eventually win the trophy, then these FA Cup betting markets are where to look. After all, in what other football competition can you almost guarantee underdog wins, but also be sure a ‘big boy’ will win the trophy?

FA Cup Tips for odds

The FA Cup betting odds largely favour the bigger teams, such as those competing in the Premier League and Championship. This is only natural, especially when these teams face lower-league opposition. But what the odds don’t reflect is the randomness of the FA Cup, what some people call the “magic”.

Here, underdogs can shock heavy favourites and create history, especially in the third and fourth rounds in January and early February. Indeed, FA Cup third round betting is the ideal place to wager on outsiders at mega odds, and keep faith that the “magic” will rub off.

BetUK strives to deliver the best FA Cup odds online, and we’re always on hand to provide odds boosts, bonuses and FA Cup specials throughout the tournament. And remember, you can string multiple FA Cup bets together into a bigger accumulator wager. Doing this enhances your overall odds and boosts your potential payout. The FA Cup is ideal for accumulators where you decide to back a string of heavy favourites who are expected to demolish their opponents and progress to the next round.

FA Cup Outright Betting

While many punters will back the underdogs in individual FA Cup games, when it comes to FA Cup outright betting there really is no substitute to wagering on a heavy favourite. No team outside England’s top division has won the FA Cup since West Ham United in 1980. Over the last decade Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have won the lions’ share of the trophies.

And so when it comes to FA Cup outright betting, it’s usually safe to back a team towards the top of the football odds.

Of course, placing FA Cup winner bets at the start of the season will gift you better odds than if you bet towards the end of the tournament. That’s because the odds on each remaining team will fall as the rounds progress. So, if you think Manchester City or Arsenal are likely to win the FA Cup one season, it’s smarter to wager earlier than later in the campaign.

FA Cup Betting Markets

If you’re seeking some outside FA Cup bets then there are plenty of considerations in our sportsbook. You can bet on which teams will make the final, how far certain teams will progress, and all in-play football betting markets like total goals, next goalscorer, handicaps and Asian lines.

The most popular markets, however, are those that focus on match results. You can bet on a home win, draw or away win in these markets – and it’s here where you can find potential upsets. Accumulators, meanwhile, are also hugely popular, where punters wager on heavy favourites to win across multiple games and combine those bets into one mega wager, in order to boost odds and potential profits.

To place any FA Cup bet, first you need to create a BetUK account or log into your profile. Then make sure you have deposited funds into your account, before checking out the odds. When you find a market that’s right for you, click on the odds you want to back and enter your stake in the pop-up bet slip. Then, check your risk and potential reward, and hit Place Bet to complete the process!

The first question that needs to be asked of anyone looking to bet on the FA Cup, is whether you're looking for a match bet or an outright competition bet. If you're looking to bet on the competition winner, you can find our FA Cup outright odds by searching for the FA Cup in the search bar on our betting odds page.

While, if you're looking for in play betting, you can find these markets:

• To win in 90 mins
• To qualify
• Over/Under goals
• Cards/Corners
• Goalscorers/Assisters
• Both Teams To Score
• Double Chance
• Handicaps
• Shots
• Correct Score

FA Cup Key Dates

The FA Cup key date most people look towards is the third round. This usually takes place in the first weekend of January and is the moment Premier League and Championship teams enter the draw.

The FA Cup key dates are as follow:

• First round – Early November
• Second round – Early December
• Third round – Early January
• Fourth round – Early February
• Quarter-finals – Early March
• Semi-finals – Mid April
• Final – Mid May

The reason fans seek out FA Cup third-round betting is because of the volume of fixtures available on this round. What’s more, there are plenty of opportunities for upsets to occur!

FA Cup Past Winners

The first FA Cup was won by Wanderers F.C.back in 1872. Since then 44 different teams have won the competition down the years. Here are the top-10 most successful clubs in the FA Cup*:

Arsenal - 14

Manchester United - 12

Liverpool - 9

Chelsea - 8

Tottenham - 8

Aston Villa - 7

Newcastle - 6

Manchester City - 6

Blackburn - 6

Everton - 5

*as of 2022

Why is the FA Cup popular?

In the FA Cups history, we've seen dozens of surprise results where the underdog has defeated a team from the top flight. Although these underdogs are regulars in FA Cup finals, they still have an equal chance of getting their hands on the trophy. The underdog factor is just one of the main reasons why the FA Cup is a competition loved by many. Some others include:

Varying Kick-Off Times: If you're looking for a fantastic days worth of action, rather than 6-7 games that kick off at 15 00. The FA Cup is exactly what you're looking for, with games from midday to 7:45, the FA Cup has a vast array of game times all season long. If you're superstitious with bets, then you may wish to avoid early kickoffs but for the rest of us, the FA Cup is a fantastic chance to bet on higher odds.

Anyone can win: The range of the FA Cup can be demonstrated by the first and last game of the 2020/21 tournament. The first game saw two-level nine clubs in Woolford Town and London Colney face-off. Meanwhile, the final saw Leicester City take on Chelsea. If you're looking for heightened odds, you're much better off looking at FA Cup odds than Premier League odds

History of the competition: With 21 teams winning the competition, the FA Cup has a vast history, teams such as Watford and Crystal Palace relished making the final in recent years, while teams such as Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers view their FA Cup-winning years as glory days due to their success. The FA Cup means a lot to a number of teams and that is seen after any win.

FA Cup Previous Winners

Arsenal are the only side with multiple victories in the last six seasons. They've also lost twice in the fourth round, once in the third round and once in the sixth round. Manchester City are the current favourites despite making the final just once since 2013, they were knocked out of this season's EFL Cup on penalties by West Ham. In recent years, City have been eliminated by as many times by championship teams as much as Premier League clubs. Could they suffer the same fate in an FA Cup match this year?

FA Cup FAQs

Still want to know more about FA Cup betting? Here are some FA Cup FAQs you can find the answer to…

Can You Bet On FA Cup?

Yes. You can bet on every FA Cup game and enjoy a variety of football odds per game.

How Old Is The FA Cup?

The FA Cup is more than 140 years old. Its first final was played between Wanderers and Royal Engineers in 1872. Wanderers won the match 1-0 in front of 2,000 fans.

Which Teams Qualify For FA Cup?

All teams in the top four tiers of English football qualify automatically for the FA Cup. However, all clubs down to Level 10 of the football pyramid can enter, with the majority competing in the qualification rounds. The Premier League and Championship teams enter at the third round.

Who Won FA Cup Most?

Arsenal hold the FA Cup record for most victories, with 14. To date, 44 different teams have won the FA Cup.

Who won last years FA Cup?

Liverpool won the FA Cup in the 2021/22 season after beating Chelsea in the final of the competition at Wembley Stadium, a repeat of the [EFL Cup](/betting/football/efl-cup final of the same year, which also had the same outcome.