Football betting tips: FA Cup 1st Round
Saturday 15:00
1pt Boreham Wood to win and BTTS vs Wigan at 2/1 (General)
1.25pt BTTS and Over 2.5 Goals in Carlisle vs Salford at 4/5 (General)
0.75pt Yeovil to beat Chesterfield at 5/1 (Betfair)
0.75pt Johl Powell to score anytime in Yeovil vs Chesterfield at 9/2 (bet365)
0.75pt Johl Powell to score a brace at 50/1 (bet365)
1.25pt BTTS and Over 2.5 Goals in Guiseley vs Sutton at 23/20 (Betway)
0.75pt Cameron Wilson to score anytime 15/4 (bet365)
0.25pt Cameron Wilson to score a brace at 33/1 (bet365)
1pt Over 3.5 Goals in Harrogate vs AFC Fylde at 13/10 (Betfair)
1pt Jay Smith-Sway to score anytime in Huddersfield vs Exeter at 6/1 (bet365)
0.25pt Jay Smith Sway to score a brace at 80/1 (bet365)
Saturday 17:30 - Altrincham vs Notts County
1pt Notts County to win and BTTS 12/5 (bet365)
Sunday 15:00 - Wimborne vs Crawley
0.75pt Wimborne to win at 4/1 (Ladbrokes)
0.25pt Wimborne win to nil at 11/1 (BetVictor)
The best cup competition in the world is back. The FA Cup 1st Round proper takes place this weekend with 27 of the 40 ties involving Non-League teams. Therefore, the Sporting Life teams have drafted me in to share my best bets, despite trying to enjoy the Spanish sun (I jumped at the opportunity).
We have goals, cupsets and goal scorers aplenty, so lets get stuck in - starting with 'cupset corner' where I highlight four teams I think could beat teams in higher leagues, irrelevant of price, so these AREN'T tips.
Cupset Corner
OXFORD CITY vs Leicester (Friday, 19:45)
- Russel Martin has come in for criticism for his sides' start to the season - The Foxes are 10th in League One. Away at a team second in the National North, Friday night under the lights and on astro – the Hoops are prime candidates for causing an upset.
GUISELEY vs Sutton United (Saturday, 15:00)
- A strong Step Three side at home to an average National League side, with Sutton having to travel a fair distance.
Chesterfield vs YEOVIL (Saturday, 15:00)
- Reasonings below
Colchester vs WORCESTER (Saturday, 15:00)
- Colchester are second bottom of League Two, ten without a win and a sparse crowd is expected. Worcester are a big physical team who have just demolished the leaders of the Southern Premier Division Central 4-1 and look improved after a couple of key signings. The visitors have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Boreham Wood vs Wigan
- Saturday 15:00 GMT
Boreham Wood are 4/5 to win in 90 minutes on Saturday.
Yes you’re reading that right, a National League team are odds-on favourites against a League One side – yet I still want to back them (in some capacity). The likelihood of this being a league fixture next season is extremely high, with the likelihood of Boreham Wood finishing above The Latics next season also high.
Luke Garrard’s side are now 1/12 favourites for the title, have dropped just four points all season and are yet to lose. At home, they have taken 22 points from a possible 24, scoring 25 goals and conceding 11 – with BTTS landing in 7/8 at Meadow Park.
Wigan have been the worst away side in League One, taking just one point from seven on the road. While half of their away goals came in an opening day defeat at Cambridge, Gary Caldwell’s side will fancy their chances of getting on the scoresheet – but that may be as good as it gets on their long journey down to Hertfordshire.
A BOREHAM WOOD WIN AND BTTS is the way in at 2/1.
Carlisle vs Salford
- Saturday 15:00 GMT
This has the potential to be a cracking affair. Based on the fanbases, ground and club sizes – this match would normally be a mismatch – in the National League club’s favour. However, football is much more nuanced than that. The Cumbrians suffered back-to-back relegations to the National League and failed to progress through the playoffs at the first time of asking, while Salford have been stuck in League Two for what seems like an eternity.
Rob Elliott took some time adapting to life in the Carlisle dugout but things are beginning to improve. His side are six unbeaten in the league, winning five of those – including scoring twice with nine men to beat Harrogate 3-0. With 32 goals scored and 23 conceded in 16 matches, for an average of 3.44 goals per game, Carlisle have seen BTTS in 75% of their league games.
There are some parallels with the two sides' start to the season. Salford, like Carlisle, also opened as league favourites and got off to a slow start under new managers after their predecessors were dismissed for playoff failures.
Salford parted company with the steady Karl Robinson and replaced him with a disciple of ‘Ange Ball’ in Peter Cklamovski. The Ammies lost their opening three games but are 11 unbeaten in the league, winning 10 of those to sit five points clear at the top of the table. Their away games are averaging just shy of four goals per game, with BTTS landing in 5/7 – keeping just one clean sheet on the road.
The visitors should edge past Carlisle, but it will be a closely fought game with plenty of goals, so backing BTTS AND OVER 2.5 GOALS at 4/5 appeals.
Chesterfield vs Yeovil
- Saturday 15:00 GMT
I like to call this one the “Jimmy the Punt experiment”. Jim and I noticed that whenever we bet on Chesterfield in games they should win on paper, they don’t get the job done. When we bet against them in games they should lose – they win. So here we are. National League Yeovil at home. 1/2 favourites despite being pumped 4-1 at Newport County on the weekend.
Yeovil are the division below but sit fifth in the league after an impressive start to the campaign under Billy Rowley. The Glovers boast the fourth best away record in the league and had won three on the bounce before a disappointing loss at Halifax. Rowley will be keen to bounce back against Paul Cook – a manager under heaps of pressure.
We'll back YEOVIL TO WIN at 5/1.
Those who follow me on ‘X’ will know my love for JOHL POWELL. The 25-year-old has been a revelation since signing from (then) Step Three Walton & Hersham in the summer after 21 goals. He has taken to the National League like a duck to water, with 8 goals to his name already in less than 800 minutes. Powell is also on penalties, so his price TO SCORE ANYTIME and TO SCORE A BRACE certainly appeal at 9/2 and 50/1.
Guiseley vs Sutton United
- Saturday 15:00 GMT
This is another game I feel that has the potential to be a corker as Step Three Guisley host National League Sutton – a team famed for some big 'cupsets'.
The Lions beat Leek 4-1 midweek, making it eight games unbeaten with seven wins in that time. They also boast a 100% OVER 2.5 GOAL record at Nethermoor Park, with these games averaging just shy of four goals. Ian Richards’ side have scored 33 in 15 so far, only blanking away against a gritty Alfreton side.
Sutton come into this game fresh off a shock 3-0 win at high-flying Worthing in the National League. Only 50% of their away games have seen overs click, but Chris Agutter’s sides are ones I usually like backing for overs and against an inform Guiseley side, The U’s will have to be at their best to avoid being on the wrong end of a cupset for once, but goals is the way in, with BTTS AND OVER 2.5 GOALS a nice 23/20.
In a game I am expecting plenty of goals, it is only natural to look towards the goalscorer market. Guiseley's CAMERON WILSON has scored eight league goals this season, as well as a brace in the last qualifying round. Across his 20 starts in all competitions he's fired 14 goals including four braces, meaning he appeals TO SCORE ANYTIME and TO SCORE A BRACE at prices of 15/4 and 33/1.
Harrogate vs AFC Fylde
- Saturday 15:00 GMT
Outside of Boreham Wood, a case could be made that Harrogate and AFC Fylde are the most exciting teams in the National League.
The duo have scored 64 and conceded 47 between them in 32 games and have seen over 2.5 click in a combined 15/16 (Harrogate at home, AFC Fylde away). Two teams packed full of attacking talent, we should see plenty of goals in Yorkshire with OVER 3.5 GOALS at 13/10 the selection.
Huddersfield vs Exeter
- Saturday 15:00 GMT
JAY SMITH-SWAY could be handed another start after impressing against MK Dons and Cambridge in the league earlier in the season, before scoring in Huddersfield's the EFL triumph over Rochdale.
The teenager is described as a versatile midfielder/defender but was played in the ‘10’ against Rochdale, having two shots on target, scoring and having the most touches (8) in the opposition box – something he also did against Doncaster (5).
With the Terriers gunning for the League One title and wanting to wrap their potent attack up in cotton wool – it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 19-year-old start more advanced again.
If so, the 6/1 and 80/1 for him TO SCORE ANYTIME and TO SCORE A BRACE respectively has plenty of appeal against a poor Exeter side from the league below – especially with the hosts 1/3 favourites.
Altrincham vs Notts County
- Saturday 15:00 GMT
- TV: BBC Two, TNT Sports 1
Altrincham have developed a reputation of being giant-killer – knocking out a mammoth 17 EFL clubs in their history. However, they may have their work cut out against a Notts County side who have adjusted to life well in League One.
The Magpies sit 17th in the league, three unbeaten after a draw against high-flying Stockport was sandwiched in between wins against Sheffield Wednesday and rivals Mansfield. Martin Paterson’s sides only defeats have come against Bradford, Reading, Oxford and Wycombe – four sides you expect to challenge the top half. Of their six away games, half have seen both score.
Altrincham have surprised many with their start to the National League, sat just on the precipice of the playoffs. Neil Gibson’s side have a satisfying record – 24 goals scored and 24 conceded in 16 games for an exact goal per game record of 3.0.
Only the tight-knit Kidderminster defence have stopped The Robins from scoring at home, so Notts County could be in for a tough afternoon – although should have enough star quality to make it through to the second round. Backing COUNTY TO WIN AND BTTS is the play.
Wimborne vs Crawley
- Sunday 15:00 GMT
- TV: TNT Sports 1
The final tip sees us head to Dorset with Step Three playoff hopefuls Wimborne hosting League Two basement boys Crawley. And it STINKS of a 'cupset'.
Despite the four-league gap, the hosts will be well up for this. Since losing their opening home game to Chichester, the Magpies are seven unbeaten at home in the league, conceding just four and scoring 18.
Tim Sills has his side extremely hard to beat, frustrating National South side Chelmsford 1-0 in the previous round. A rock solid defence, a pumped-up, sold out home crowd with star attacking quality in Angel Diaz (19) and Joe Smith, Wimborne could frustrate a Crawley side with no manager who appear to be staring the National League in the face.
We'll back WIMBORNE TO WIN at 4/1, and take a swing on WIMBORNE WIN TO NIL at 11/1.
All odds correct at 12:30 GMT (05/11/26)
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