George Pitts has delivered six winning football tips in a row. Our expert goes for more profits in Friday night's two games in the FA Cup.
Recommended bets: Friday FA Cup fifth round
3pts Olivier Giroud to score anytime in Chelsea v Hull at evens
1pt Riyad Mahrez to score anytime in Leicester v Sheffield United at 9/4
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Chelsea v Hull City (2000 GMT, BT Sport 2)
With the Premier League and Carabao Cup already out of the equation, and a tough tie with Barcelona in the Champions League last 16; the FA Cup is a real opportunity for Chelsea to win silverware this season.
They will be hoping to go one further than last year, after losing to Arsenal in the final, and the Blues are expected to make changes to their team after manager Antonio Conte said: "We have two weeks [in front of us ] that are very tough."
The Italian will want to make easier work of this than when they last faced Sky Bet Championship opposition – in the third round – when they were taken to penalties in a replay with Norwich City.
The good news for Conte is that he looks set to have a near fully fit squad to select from, with the exception of Tiemoue Bakayoko, David Luiz and Ross Barkley, and we could see Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud paired together for the first time.
It is the first meeting between the two sides since January 2017, where City’s Ryan Mason fractured his skull following a collision with Gary Cahill. After 13 months of recovery, the 26-year-old was this week forced to retire from football following medical advice.
Both sides will undoubtedly want to avoid adding a replay to their busy schedules – with those other games potentially providing distractions – and I think Chelsea’s strength in depth will see them through.
While they face Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 next week, Nigel Adkins’ Hull are just a point above the Sky Bet Championship’s bottom three and valued at 9/2 for a second successive relegation.
The hosts are big odds-on favourites, with injury-hit Hull valued as high as 18/1 for the victory. I see this as a good opportunity for Giroud to open his account for the Blues. The Frenchman is 7/2 to score two or more goals and a very tempting evens to score anytime, while Chelsea to win and over 3.5 goals is 17/10.
Chelsea have lost three of their last five games in all competitions, but they should be able to build on Monday’s 3-0 victory over West Brom with a comfortable win under the lights in Stamford Bridge.
Prediction: Chelsea 4-0 Hull City (Sky Bet: 17/2)
Leicester City v Sheffield United (1945 GMT)
Two Sheffield boys could line up for Leicester as they face United at the King Power.
Foxes top scorer Jamie Vardy is a boyhood Wednesday fan, while centre-back Harry Maguire was also an Owl from a young age before joining the Blades’ academy and switching allegiances – something Vardy has been mocking his team-mate for in this week's build up.
Maguire went on to make over 150 appearances for Sheffield United, eventually making his way to Leicester via a three-year spell at Hull.
Claude Puel will see the FA Cup as a great chance to secure silverware in his first season at the club, as well as battling for seventh spot in the Premier League.
Maguire – who wanted to draw either of his former clubs – has two goals to his name this season and is 8/1 to score anytime against the Blades. Vardy is 10/3 to open the scoring and Riyad Mahrez – who could make his first start since returning from his self-imposed exile – can be backed at 9/4 to net anytime.
They face a tough Sky Bet Championship side, under the astute management of Chris Wilder, for the second time this term after Leicester were 4-1 winners in the Carabao Cup in August.
In their first season back in the second tier, United are currently eighth and pushing for a play-off place. They go into the match without a number of key senior players, after their Yorkshire derby win over Leeds. They will, though, be boosted by the return of promising youngster David Brooks, who has been out of action since December due to glandular fever.
Again, I cannot see much of a shock in this one. The Blades will battle but Puel’s men have been efficient and well organised so far under his reign and I think they will have enough to see off the Blades at the first time of asking.
Prediction: Leicester City 2-0 Sheff United (Sky Bet: 6/1)
Posted at 1605 GMT on 15/02/18.
