FA Cup fifth round betting preview: Free football betting tips, predictions and latest FA Cup odds ahead of next round
Paul Higham casts an eye over the fifth round games in the FA Cup with best bets for every game coming up over the weekend.
Recommended bets
1pt Watford to beat QPR to nil at 21/10
1pt Brighton to win & under 2.5 goals at 3/1
1pt Swansea to beat Brentford at 7/5
For advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Friday
QPR v Watford (1945 GMT, BT Sport 2)
Javi Gracia may make changes, but then again his side are sitting pretty in the Premier League in eighth and even when shuffling his pack they won at Newcastle in the last round. It's a rare visit to the fifth round for the Hornets and I find it had to believe Gracia will not be taking it seriously when they're closing in on a trip to Wembley - they're good enough to make the semi-finals at least.
Steve McClaren is one of the few managers actually taking this competition seriously from the start, and a Friday night fixture at Loftus Road should get the home crowd buzzed up to provide a cracking atmosphere, but whatever Watford team runs out they're a big powerful unit and should be good enough to get through.
Best Bet: Watford to beat QPR to nil at 21/10
Saturday
Brighton v Derby (1230 GMT, BT Sport 2)
It's an interesting start to the day with Derby making the trip down to the south coast and again team selection will be a big factor in this one, but surely at the fifth round stage both managers will be looking to go as full strength as possible?
Recent results have dragged Brighton back into the relegation scrap in the Premier League, so Hughton may be tempted to tinker here, but Brighton's home form is pretty solid, so all things being equal it'll be the Seagulls going into the hat for the next round.
Best Bet: Brighton to win & under 2.5 goals at 11/4
Wimbledon v Millwall (1500 GMT)
Wimbledon were excellent at home against West Ham in their shock but fully deserved victory while Millwall caused an upset of their own as they sent Everton packing, but both have struggled since with just one Wimbledon goal and victory between them in three matches each.
That makes picking this game tricky to say the least, as their FA Cup runs doesn't seem to have had any decent affect on the teams at all. The Lions may be away but they do have that extra quality that comes from playing in the league above, so should have enough but it looks like being a close call.
Best Bet: Millwall to win in extra time at 9/1
Newport v Man City (1730 GMT, BT Sport 2)
Where do you start with a game where the Premier League champions are 1/500 to beat a League Two side where the only hope is that the City swagger is put off its stride by a less-than-perfect pitch - the pitch can be a great leveller but it would have to be something outrageous to narrow the gap between these two.
Whatever side Pep Guardiola puts out it'll still be a case of how many they'll get (they're odds-on to score four or more!). There's a chance City's players take time to adapt to the pitch and they may not end up filling their boots as they did against Burton, Burnley and Rotherham, but Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez have the pace and technical ability to score on any surface.
Best Bet: Gabriel Jesus & Riyad Mahrez both to score at 15/8
Sunday
Bristol City v Wolves (1300 GMT, BT Sport 2)
Another home draw for Bristol City who have been on a tremendous run having not lost since November as they've progressed in the FA Cup and up the Sky Bet Championship table. Wolves are my idea of the perfect team outside the top six to make a big run at this competition, but they made heavy work of getting past Shrewsbury to get here.
Wolves need to up it a gear to take on what is as tough as it gets outside the Premier League, and this has the hallmark of a really good game of football to kick-off Sunday's slate of games. Neither side score too many goals but they're both pretty solid defensively and this one has the potential to go the distance.
Best Bet: Either side to win in extra time at 11/2
Doncaster v Crystal Palace (1600 GMT, BBC One)
Palace played particularly well when dumping Tottenham out in the last round and this one should be a relatively straightforward progressions despite Rovers being in fine form at home with 3-1 and 3-0 wins in their last two games.
Doncaster may be a league One side but they know where the goal is and at home they'll be spurred on to find the net, but for my money that'll come in a losing cause. Roy Hodgson's men are taken to get through here in normal time.
Best Bet: Crystal Palace to win and both teams to score at 9/4
Swansea v Brentford (1600 GMT, BBC Wales)
An all-Championship affair between two evenly matched sides where home advantage could be he deciding factor - especially given Brentford have won just once away from home in the Sky Bet Championship all season, which is a record that demands your attention here.
Even in the last round they showed their road sickness when drawing at Barnet only to then win the replay comfortably back at home, so although there's a lot to like about them, you've got to side with Swansea in front of their home crowd.
Best Bet: Swansea to beat Brentford at 7/5
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