FA Cup Predictions

Weekly FA Cup Betting Tips

Below you’ll find our weekly FA Cup tips across the most popular football betting markets, including Correct Score, Both Teams to Score (BTTS), Over/Under 2.5 Goals, Total Shots on Target, and Match Result. FA Cup predictions draw on form analysis, group-stage dynamics, and knockout trends from England’s most historic domestic cup competition, covering everything from early upsets to high-profile clashes between Premier League contenders and in-form lower-league challengers.

FA Cup Betting Tips

Match	Betting tips
PrestonAston Villa30/03/2025, 13:30	Correct Score: 1-3 BTTS: Yes Over 1.5 Goals: Yes Total SoT: Over 9.5 Match Result: Away Win
BournemouthMan City30/03/2025, 16:30	Correct Score: 2-2 BTTS: Yes Over 1.5 Goals: Yes Total SoT: Over 9.5 Match Result: Draw
Crystal PalaceAston Villa26/04/2025, 17:15	Correct Score: 1-1 BTTS: Yes Over 1.5 Goals: Yes Total SoT: Over 4.5 Match Result: Draw
Nottingham ForestMan City27/04/2025, 16:30	Correct Score: 0-2 BTTS: No Over 1.5 Goals: Yes Total SoT: Over 4.5 Match Result: Away Win
Crystal PalaceMan City17/05/2025, 16:30	Correct Score: 0-2 BTTS: No Over 1.5 Goals: Yes Total SoT: Over 4.5 Match Result: Away Win

FA Cup Outrights Tips for 2025/2026 Season

Outright betting in the FA Cup focuses on predicting outcomes across the entire tournament rather than single matches. The main FA Cup betting markets include To Win Outright, To Reach The Final, To Reach The Semi-Finals, and Top Goalscorer. These long-term bets are placed before and during the competition, with prices changing as results come in and the field narrows.

Our expert football forecasts for the 2025/26 FA Cup season are set out below.

Who will win the FA Cup this season?

Liverpool are the bookmakers’ favourites to win the FA Cup in 2025–26, priced at 9/2 (18.2%) by most major bookmakers. They boast strong attacking depth and recent high-stakes experience in cup competitions, which makes them a credible front-runner. Yet in our view Manchester City at 11/2 (15.4%) are the most likely FA Cup winners. Their consistency in knockout rounds, squad quality, and tactical flexibility give them a slight edge in this edition of the FA Cup.

More info about the 2 leading contenders to win the FA Cup is given below.

• Liverpool (9/2, 18.2%). Liverpool enter as favourites to win the FA Cup this season thanks to elite attacking output and significant upgrades in key areas. Mohamed Salah continues to deliver at a world-class level, while the arrivals of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong add proven ball progression and penetration. Wirtz increases the team’s ability to generate high-value chances through zone-14 passing and final-third combinations, while Frimpong’s overlapping runs and chance creation from wide areas increase output in expected assists (xA). Combined with Liverpool’s pressing intensity and a Premier League title secured in 2024–25, the squad is well-positioned to contend for the FA Cup win.
• Manchester City (11/2, 15.4%). Manchester City are our favourite to win the FA Cup this year. They reached the final in 2025 and have consistently advanced to the latter stages during Guardiola’s tenure. The team’s tactical structure maximises possession dominance, and with Phil Foden emerging as a leading chance-creator and finisher, City still generate high expected goals (xG) values in cup matches. Even with Kevin De Bruyne no longer central (De Bruyne’s 10-year contract finished at the end of the 2024–25 season), City’s squad depth and established automatisms give them one of the most stable attacking and defensive profiles in the competition, making them our favourite to win the FA Cup in 2025–26.

Who is most likely to reach the FA Cup semi-finals?

Based on squad strength, summer signings, and managerial setups, the most likely contenders to reach the FA Cup semi-finals in 2025/26 are Liverpool and Manchester City. Liverpool combine Arne Slot’s dynamic approach with a refreshed attack featuring Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Alexander Isak, while Manchester City remain a force under Vincent Kompany. Other strong candidates to reach the FA Cup semi-finals include Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. Spurs look improved under new boss Thomas Frank, while Chelsea’s strength in depth and the arrivals of players such as Liam Delap and Alejandro Garnacho give them the balance to compete deep into the competition.

More information about the 4 clubs most likely to reach the FA Cup semi-finals this season follows below.

• Manchester City. Manchester City are the leading candidates for an FA Cup semi-final place because of their consistent cup pedigree and the addition of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, all signed between June and September 2025. Manager Pep Guardiola has shown over the years that his sides adapt seamlessly to knockout football, rotating without a major drop in performance. Donnarumma’s arrival upgrades their goalkeeping for high-pressure ties, Reijnders strengthens ball progression in midfield, and Cherki offers a creative spark against compact defences. City’s mix of depth and tactical flexibility means they are equipped for a deep run, making them one of the clubs most likely to make it to the FA Cup semi-finals.
• Liverpool. Liverpool are another strong candidate for an FA Cup semi-final spot thanks to a successful rebuild under Arne Slot and a wave of new attacking signings. Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Alexander Isak provide both variety and finishing power, complementing an already proven core led by Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. Slot’s tactical style carried Liverpool to the Premier League title last season, showing he is able to manage the balance between league commitments and knockout intensity. With a wealth of attacking options and a squad refreshed across multiple lines, Liverpool look prepared to go far, making them one of the clubs most likely to make it to the FA Cup semi-finals.
• Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham Hotspur stand out as another likely FA Cup semi-finalist under new manager Thomas Frank, who arrived from Brentford in the summer of 2025. During his tenure at Brentford, Frank built a reputation for defensive organisation, effective pressing, and strong set-piece routines, qualities that translate well to knockout competitions. Spurs now combine that tactical discipline with attacking options capable of deciding tight matches. The sharper defensive unit gives Tottenham a stronger platform than in recent years, making them one of the clubs most likely to make it to the FA Cup semi-finals.
• Chelsea. Chelsea complete the list of strong semi-final candidates in the FA Cup on the back of squad depth and a string of exciting new arrivals. Liam Delap, João Pedro, Estêvão, and Alejandro Garnacho add youth, pace, and unpredictability across the front line, ensuring attacking freshness throughout the tournament. Chelsea’s investment over recent windows has built a roster capable of rotating while still fielding dangerous line-ups, which is crucial given the FA Cup’s compact schedule from the Fourth Round onwards. This strength in depth positions Chelsea well to survive tricky draws, making them one of the clubs most likely to make it to the FA Cup semi-finals.

FA Cup Betting Stats and Data

Officially called The Football Association Challenge Cup, the FA Cup is the oldest national football competition in the world, first played in 1871–72. To support our FA Cup tips and betting advice, FootballPredictions.com draws on historical records, including outcomes such as home wins, away wins, replays, goal averages, and BTTS percentages. We use this data to provide the statistical foundation for our weekly previews across the most popular FA Cup betting markets.

FA Cup Stats (2025/2026)

FA Cup Fixtures

What are FA Cup Predictions?

FA Cup predictions are expert forecasts of outcomes in England’s most historic knockout competition. Unlike league forecasts, FA Cup predictions focus on single-elimination ties where one match decides who advances. Predictions highlight which clubs are best placed to progress through each round, who is likely to challenge for the trophy, and which betting markets offer the strongest statistical backing. These markets include Match Result, Both Teams to Score (BTTS), and Over/Under goals. Because the FA Cup features teams from all tiers of English football, predictions weigh the differences in quality, depth, and resources between Premier League giants and semi-professional sides, while considering how factors like home advantage and fixture scheduling influence results.

What makes the FA Cup so distinctive as a competition is the mix of high-level teams and underdogs sharing the same bracket. Lower-division clubs sometimes defeat top-flight opponents, often because stronger teams rotate their line-ups to rest key players for league or European matches. Historical patterns show that even elite clubs occasionally fall in the early rounds when facing motivated opposition in challenging away environments, such as small stadiums with intense local support. At FootballPredictions.com, our experienced football betting analysts assess form, head-to-head records, and tactical setups to produce FA Cup predictions that reflect both statistical evidence and the realities of knockout football.

How are FA Cup Predictions determined?

We formulate the most accurate FA Cup predictions possible through a five-step process that blends competition-specific context, data modelling, team news, tactical/venue factors, and market evaluation.

The five steps behind our FA Cup forecasts are listed below.

• Setting the tie context and cup rules
• Assessing form and underlying data
• Reviewing squad availability and rotation
• Factoring in venue, travel, and conditions
• Comparing projections with bookmaker odds

1. Setting the tie context and cup rules. Our FA Cup predictions start by analysing match context. The competition is a straight knockout, beginning with early qualifying rounds that involve hundreds of non-league clubs before professional sides enter later. There is no seeding system, so the draw is entirely random and pairs any clubs together once they join, whether from the Premier League or lower divisions. This format matters because the stage of the competition shapes how seriously teams approach the match and what progression means in terms of prize money, scheduling, and prestige. With that structure in place, the match context for each tie is assessed properly and FA Cup predictions reflect the unique demands and opportunities of every round.
2. Assessing form and underlying data. The next steps of producing FA Cup predictions involves incorporating recent performance trends and stable metrics such as chance creation/concession, xG profiles, and finishing/shot suppression streaks. Knockout football magnifies small edges, so we weight home/away performance and scoring baselines (the Cup typically produces high goals-per-game in early rounds, with home win rates around the high-40% range in recent seasons) alongside head-to-head context. Separating short-term streaks from sustained strengths helps FA Cup predictions reflect repeatable performance rather than one-off spikes.
3. Reviewing squad availability and rotation. The next step in shaping accurate FA Cup predictions is folding in team news because FA Cup predictions hinge on who actually plays. Managers often rotate during congested periods, protecting key starters for league or European objectives, while lower league sides usually field their strongest starting lineup. Suspensions, injuries, and January arrivals or departures directly shift a tie’s balance. Quantifying likely rotation and bench quality lets FA Cup predictions connect squad depth to realistic match outcomes.
4. Factoring in venue, travel, and conditions. The next step in grounding our FA Cup predictions is analysing home advantage (crowd intensity, pitch size/quality), travel burdens on favourites, and winter conditions that tend to compress game state and raise variance. Smaller, hostile venues frequently narrow the talent gap and increase the chance of an upset, especially when elite teams face motivated hosts from lower tiers. This context is baked into FA Cup predictions before finalising probabilities.
5. Comparing projections with bookmaker odds. Finally, we convert our probabilities into prices and benchmark them against the market to turn FA Cup predictions into actionable tips. By translating odds to implied probabilities, we flag mismatches (overreactions to recent form, underestimation of rotation risk, or mispriced home advantage) in core markets like Match Result, BTTS, and Clean Sheet. Where our model meaningfully disagrees with the line (and the reasoning holds under team news) we publish FA Cup predictions that prioritise value and long-term edge.

When are FA Cup Predictions released?

Our FA Cup predictions are published at the start of each week, typically on Monday at 1:00 PM (UK) London time. This schedule aligns with the fact that most fixtures take place on weekends, giving readers several days to review analysis before the action begins.

FA Cup replays and rearranged ties are usually set for midweek, and predictions for those matches are released once the draw and dates are confirmed. This approach ensures that every forecast is based on the most accurate information available and that FA Cup fans and bettors receive reliable football predictions in good time.

What are the most appealing Betting Markets to bet on for the FA Cup?

The three most appealing betting markets in the FA Cup are Home Wins, Both Teams to Score (BTTS), and Over 2.5 Goals. These markets stand out because they combine consistency with value. Home advantage continues to matter across early and late rounds, BTTS thrives on mismatches and rotation, and Over 2.5 Goals benefits from the FA Cup’s attacking style, with most seasons averaging over three goals per game.

More information on the 3 most appealing betting markets for the FA Cup is given below.

• Home Wins. Home teams have secured between 46% and 48% of results over the last five FA Cup seasons. The 2021/22 campaign hit its peak at 48%, with sides like Kidderminster Harriers using home support to produce shock runs into the later rounds. Similarly, in 2023/24’s FA Cup, Maidstone United and Cray Valley Paper Mills both recorded dominant home records, underlining how local support levels the playing field even against stronger opposition. By comparison, away wins sit around 34% to 36%, while draws remain just 16% to 19%, confirming the strength of home advantage across the FA Cup.
• Both Teams to Score (BTTS). BTTS outcomes in the FA Cup landed in 54% to 59% of matches over the last five years, showing how frequently both sides find the net. In 2022/23, Ashington AFC and Sevenoaks Town were regular contributors to high BTTS percentages, combining open attacking play with shaky defending. In 2024/25, Hednesford Town produced games where both teams scored in 70% of their fixtures, adding to the competition-wide average. With clean sheets rarely climbing above 46%, punters consistently find value backing BTTS.
• Over 2.5 Goals. Over 2.5 Goals is one of the most profitable FA Cup betting markets. Goals per match have averaged 3.01 to 3.48 over the last five campaigns, with Over 2.5 cashing in 61% to 68% of fixtures depending on the season. The 2023/24 edition of the FA Cup hit the high point, averaging 3.48 goals per match, boosted by clubs such as Ramsgate and Cray Valley Paper Mills, who regularly produced games clearing the three-goal line. In 2022/23, Manchester City recorded emphatic wins, while sides like Beckenham Town also featured in consistently high-scoring encounters. Across all levels, mismatches between Premier League heavyweights and non-league sides fuel Over 2.5 returns, keeping it one of the most attractive FA Cup betting markets.

The table below summarises key FA Cup outcomes from the last five seasons for Match Result, BTTS and Over 2.5 Goals.

FA Cup Season Guide

England’s FA Cup is the world’s oldest knockout competition, open across the pyramid from amateur sides to Premier League giants. The 2025/26 edition is the 145th season. Qualifying begins in August, the “proper” rounds start in November, and Wembley hosts the final in May. The winners of the FA Cup book a place in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. For readers comparing domestic cups, FA Cup insights often overlap with EFL Cup predictions, since both tournaments share knockout formats but differ in scheduling intensity and depth of entrants. The FA Cup stands out for its open participation that welcomes hundreds of non-league teams each year, and for its tradition of giant-killings that define English football heritage.

What Is the Format of the FA Cup 2025/26 Season?

The format of the FA Cup 2025/26 is a straight knockout from start to finish. A six-round qualifying competition runs through late summer and autumn, whittling hundreds of non-league entrants down to 32 clubs. These 32 join the 48 teams from League One and League Two in the First Round Proper (124 teams total). The second round of the FA Cup trims the field to 64, and the Third Round introduces the 44 clubs from the Premier League and Championship. From there, the bracket progresses through the Fourth Round, Fifth Round, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final at Wembley.

The proper rounds of the FA Cup tournament (from the First Round onward) no longer use replays. In cases where a tie is level after 90 minutes, it goes to extra time and, if needed, penalties on the day. Each FA Cup round is drawn at random with no seeding — any club in that round is paired with any other, and the first ball drawn hosts the tie. Prize money, prestige, and television selections sit alongside standard kick-off windows to spread fixtures. Beyond the trophy, FA Cup winners receive Europa League qualification for the following season.

What are the Start & End Dates for the FA Cup 2025/26?

The 2025/26 FA Cup runs from 1 November 2025 (First Round Proper) to 16 May 2026 (final at Wembley). Qualifying ties begin in August and end in October. The main draw runs on weekends, with the First Round in early November, Second in early December, Third in mid-January, Fourth in mid-February, Fifth in early March, quarter-finals in early April, semi-finals in late April, and the final in mid-May.

A recent calendar overhaul has shifted more FA Cup ties to weekends and set dedicated windows for the later rounds. Replays have been scrapped, so every tie is decided on the day, a change that eases winter scheduling and keeps the knockout flow steady from November to May.

How are FA Cup Fixtures built up?

FA Cup fixtures are built by a blind, computer-assisted draw before each round. There is no seeding in the main competition, meaning all clubs remaining in a round enter the same pot and each is assigned a number. Numbered balls are drawn one after another. The first club drawn becomes the home team and the second becomes the away team. The process continues until the pot is empty. This method allows Premier League heavyweights to meet immediately upon entry in the Third Round and it creates the famous moments when a big club travels to the ground of a non-league side.

Entry points in the FA Cup are staggered by level and this is the competition’s only structural filter. Non-league teams start in the qualifying stage, League One and League Two sides join in Round One, and Championship and Premier League clubs arrive in Round Three. After each FA Cup draw, broadcasters and police authorities shape the weekend schedule. Matches are placed into TV windows and safety and travel constraints are considered. Since 2024/25, the Fourth Round, Fifth Round and quarter-finals have had dedicated weekends without Premier League clashes. All proper-round FA Cup matches resolve on the day with extra time and penalties used if required. This change removed replay dates and streamlined the path to Wembley. Broadcast rights for the FA Cup competition belong to TNT Sports with free-to-air coverage shared on the BBC.

Related Leagues We Cover

Stay on top of Europe’s biggest football competitions with our expert predictions for other leagues and tournaments including the ones below.

• EFL Cup Predictions. Our EFL Cup predictions explore England’s secondary knockout competition, covering key rounds and title favourites.
• Premier League Predictions. Premier League forecasts analyse top-flight clubs, player form, and major domestic matchups.
• Championship Predictions. Our Championship coverage follows promotion races, relegation fights, and the season’s most decisive fixtures.
• Europa League Predictions. Europa League forecasts track leading European clubs aiming for continental success.
• Champions League Predictions. Our Champions League predictions deliver expert analysis of Europe’s most prestigious competition from group stages to the final.