The weekend’s Football Jackpot King is open! Here are some of my tips. Buy your tickets here.
Fulham v Aston Villa (FA Cup)
It’s never easy to predict the FA Cup Third Round, as teams are often focused more on their league situation. I think both teams are fairly even but will back home advantage to see Fulham through. (1)
Birmingham v Blackburn Rovers (FA Cup)
Neither team are in good form. Birmingham have lost four of their last five matches, whilst Rovers have lost two on the bounce. Looking through the head-to-head, four of the last five meetings were draws. I can’t split them this time. (X)
Reading v Blackpool (FA Cup)
The Royals are riding a majestic wave of football wins right now. They’ve won four in a row, which has eased any relegation fears. That means they should take advantage of Blackpool, who have lost three and not managed a win in their previous five games. (1)
Preston v Norwich (FA Cup)
This is another tough one to predict. Preston’s form has dropped off and they no longer occupy the Championship play-off places. Norwich, on the other hand, are bottom of the Premier League and their top-flight existence is under serious threat. For this reason, despite Preston’s struggles, I’m backing them to claim a Premier League scalp. (1)
Fleetwood Town v Portsmouth (FA Cup)
Fleetwood love a draw at the moment. Four of their last five games ended in a stalemate and they are very even with Portsmouth in the League One standings. Pompey have the upper hand in the head-to-head, so if you want to pick a winner, I would go for the away side. However, I think a draw is a good bet. (X)
Granada v Mallorca (La Liga)
Granada ended 2019 in mixed form, with one win, one draw and three losses in their last five games. At home they are slightly better, whilst Mallorca are pretty poor. Only the bottom side in La Liga has lost more games than them. Back a home win. (1)
Getafe v Real Madrid (La Liga)
Getafe are having a great season and they shouldn’t be scared of their near neighbours. Real Madrid drew their last three games before the break and failed to score in the last two. It’s a risk, but I am backing a draw. (X)
SPAL v Hellas Verona (Serie A)
If you can predict this fixture correctly, you deserve a round of applause! SPAL have a tendency to draw at home so I am looking at this today. It’s happened in two of their last four home games, as well as in three of the last four meetings. (X)
Genoa v Sassuolo (Serie A)
Bottom of the table Genoa are in serious trouble. They lost 4-0 to Inter Milan before the break and they now face a Sassuolo side who have not lost in their last five away games. That run includes draws at Juventus and AC Milan. If they can draw at Juve, they can beat Genoa. (2)
QPR v Swansea (FA Cup)
QPR come into this game after thrashing Cardiff 6-1 on New Year’s Day. However, their record against the Swans is poor, with just one win and four defeats in six. I am backing an away win. (2)