Football betting tips: FA Cup
1pt Pablo Fornals to score anytime at 15/2
0.5pt Pablo Fornals to score from outside the area at 22/1
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Manchester United v West Ham
- 19:30 GMT on BBC One
- Match odds: Home 4/7 | Draw 7/2 | Away 17/4
We can only use the word bizarre to describe Manchester United's last week-and-a-half in the Premier League.
They were beaten by Sheffield United, drew 0-0 with Arsenal, hammered Southampton 9-0 and then were denied all three points by Dominic Calvert-Lewin's last-second equaliser in a 3-3 draw with Everton.
It's seriously damaged their chances of winning the title.
Manchester City, on the other hand, look unstoppable and are taking any opportunity given to them. Less than 24 hours after that draw with Everton, United watched on as the blue side of Manchester dismantled Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield.
They do have a chance of some silverware though with a decent enough draw in the FA Cup, and Europa League involvement.
West Ham have enjoyed a great season in the Premier League and they will likely field a strong team here - that is something they haven't done in previous rounds.
The Hammers were held by Fulham at the weekend, and speaking as someone who had Michail Antonio as my fantasy football captain and Tomas Soucek in midfield, I'm completely fine with it, honest.
David Moyes isn't though, we should acknowledge awful weather conditions for football, but that red card to Soucek overshadowed a decent enough point. Soucek is now available for selection and he has been a regular throughout the campaign.
Moyes mentioned that he couldn't prepare with him just in case he wasn't available. The red card was overturned, and with the quick turnaround between games, should that matter?
The midfielder is an attractive 7/2 to score anytime if he is in that starting line-up but there is another West Ham player who we have mentioned before and who remains overpriced in the goalscorer markets: Pablo Fornals. He netted in the win over Doncaster in the last round.
Fornals has been the victim of Jesse Lingard's arrival at the club, but the on-loan Manchester United man won't be involved here.
There are fitness doubts over Michail Antonio, so with Andriy Yarmolenko likely taking the striker role, Fornals is open to return in attacking midfield.
In the Premier League, he has seen a total of 28 shots from 21 appearances and carries an Infgol expected goals figure of 4.08, yet he only has two on his actual league tally.
He's not making the most of his opportunities, but with serious competition to his place in the form of Lingard, he now really needs to.
Betfair and Paddy Power offer the best price of a goal anytime with 15/2 available, although the price bounces between 5/1 and 13/2 elsewhere.
That's where the best bet is in this game, but a small stakes place on that goal coming from outside the area at a huge 22/1 with Sky Bet is also worth backing. Fornals has seen a number of opportunities come from distance.
There is little value in the outright result market with a home win expected. With an away goal fancied though, taking a Manchester United win with over 2.5 goals in the game boosts the odds to even money.
Instead, it's better to back Fornals at the big prices available.
Score prediction: Manchester United 2-1 West Ham (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)
Manchester United v West Ham best bets
Opta facts
- Manchester United have progressed from their last three FA Cup ties with West Ham, with the most recent one coming in the 2015-16 quarter-final.
- West Ham are winless in their last 15 away games against Manchester United in all competitions (D4 L11), since winning 1-0 in the Premier League in May 2007.
- Manchester United have won their last eight home games in the FA Cup – they last had a longer run between January 1908 and February 1912 (9).
- West Ham haven’t won any of their last eight away FA Cup games against Premier League opponents (D3 L5), since beating Man City 2-1 in March 2006 en route to reaching the final.
Odds correct at 1430 GMT (08/02/21)
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