Fulham v Leeds tips: FA Cup best bets and preview
Fulham welcome Leeds in their televised FA Cup clash. Tom Carnduff has two best bets, including a 50/1 goalscorer tip.
Football betting tips: FA Cup
1pt Georginio Rutter to score anytime at 10/3 (bet365)
0.5pt e.w. Rasmus Kristensen to score first at 50/1 (bet365 1-99 1/3)
Tuesday's televised clash is an all-Premier League clash with Fulham hosting Leeds, although it feels like a selection made with the TV companies potentially hoping Sunderland progressed instead.
Marco Silva's side saw off the Black Cats with victory over Hull in the round before that, while Leeds also got the better of lower league opposition, albeit with a different head coach at the helm.
Javi Gracia's spell at Elland Road began with a desperately needed win over Southampton at the weekend, and we know he will be taking this competition seriously after guiding Watford to an unlikely final in 2019.
The fact that we're so early into the Gracia era at Leeds may be of benefit to them in this fixture. He needs competitive games to get the squad up to speed with his ideas and ideal way of playing.
Fulham have rotated in previous rounds but note the level of opposition. They may be tempted to go stronger at this stage, with much-needed minutes given to Aleksandar Mitrović as he returns from injury.
We can expect a couple of changes for the visitors though, with a start for GEORGINIO RUTTER likely. At 10/3, the value is there in taking the Leeds striker to SCORE ANYTIME.
Leeds' club record signing has only started one game following his January arrival - that being the win over Accrington in the last round - but a positive performance off the bench against the Saints may tempt Gracia into giving him an extended spell on the pitch.
After all, he does need to get up to speed with being a starting player. Rodrigo remains sidelined and the huge fee paid by the club wouldn't allow for him being anything other than a name in that starting XI for a crucial part of the campaign.
It's hard to judge him from his time at Leeds, but he's shown his quality for Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. Last season brought eight goals despite only starting 13 games, with an average of 0.37 xG/95.
While Leeds are working to adapt to a new system, an FA Cup fixture inevitably won't have the same levels of pressure as their Premier League contests do in the midst of that relegation battle.
That doesn't mean they'll end up playing some free-flowing, wonderful football suddenly, but the nerves shouldn't be there, which could lead to more adventure in attack and opportunities to score.
On that subject, given the reliance on full-backs to provide some attacking width, RASMUS KRISTENSEN TO SCORE FIRST is a fun each-way bet at a huge 50/1.
While Luke Ayling has been the preferred right-back in recent weeks, Kristensen should get minutes here and could well be suited to this new way of playing. There isn't as much chaos as there was under Jesse Marsch, which left him exposed defensively.
Ayling had a shot in the Saints win and Junior Firpo - Leeds' left-back - scored the winning goal. Should Gracia opt for some rotation and gives Kristensen a start, he's shown in the past that he can convert opportunities.
He scored ten goals across 45 games for Red Bull Salzburg last season, with a further eight assists on his tally. Granted the quality level isn't the same, but it demonstrates that he's capable of contributing in attack.
The result feels a slightly tricky one to call given potential changes to both personnel and management on one side. KRISTENSEN and RUTTER are the more appealing plays at the prices available.
Fulham v Leeds best bets and score prediction
- 1pt Georginio Rutter to score anytime at 10/3 (bet365)
- 0.5pt e.w. Rasmus Kristensen to score first at 50/1 (bet365 1-99 1/3)
Score prediction: Fulham 2-2 Leeds (Sky Bet odds: 11/1)
Odds correct at 1535 GMT (27/02/23)
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