2024-25 FA Cup outright prediction, betting tips and odds: Back Chelsea to make up for recent Wembley woes
Free 2024-25 FA Cup outright tips, best bets and predictions.
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2024-25 FA Cup best bets
Chelsea
2pt 7-1 bet365, Coral, Ladbrokes
Bournemouth
1pt each-way 33-1 general
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2024-25 FA Cup odds
Here are the latest 2024-25 FA Cup outright odds ahead of the third round which starts on Thursday, January 9
| FA Cup winner | Odds |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | 9-2 with Ladbrokes |
| Liverpool | 9-2 with Ladbrokes |
| Arsenal | 13-2 with Ladbrokes |
| Chelsea | 7-1 with Ladbrokes |
| Newcastle | 11-1 with Ladbrokes |
| Tottenham | 12-1 with Ladbrokes |
| Manchester United | 16-1 with Ladbrokes |
| Aston Villa | 20-1 with Ladbrokes |
Odds correct at time of publishing – 25-1 bar
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2024-25 FA Cup outright predictions
There is an unusual look to this season's Premier League table, with Nottingham Forest in the top three, Manchester City in sixth, Bournemouth pushing for Europe and Tottenham and Manchester United languishing in the bottom half.
However, the surprise results during the first 20 rounds of league fixtures appear to have had little impact on the FA Cup outright market.
Manchester City are still favourites ahead of Liverpool, despite the fact that Arne Slot's men are 12 points clear of the faltering champions with a game in hand and have won all six of their Champions League matches.
The Citizens were 1-6 to lift the trophy before last term's shock 2-1 defeat to Manchester United but this season Pep Guardiola is more focused on closing the gap on Liverpool and avoiding a humiliating early exit from Europe.
The FA Cup is also some way down Liverpool manager Slot's list of priorities. His side have reached the EFL Cup semi-finals but make limited appeal despite a home draw against League Two Accrington – a tie that should boost the sales of milk among nostalgic football fans in the north-west.
Arsenal, the most successful club in FA Cup history, are struggling for attacking fluency without the injured Bukayo Saka and they suffered a limp 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle in Tuesday's EFL Cup semi-final first leg.
The Gunners are no certainties to see off holders Manchester United in Sunday's heavyweight third-round tie so Chelsea look more tempting at the same odds in the outright market.
The Blues suffered a hat-trick of FA Cup final defeats between 2020 and 2022, losing to Arsenal, Leicester and Liverpool, and have also been pipped by the Reds in two of the last three EFL Cup finals.
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson's profligate finishing cost his side in last season's 1-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City after Mauricio Pochettino's Blues had survived a scare against Enzo Maresca's Leicester in the last eight.
Maresca, now Chelsea boss, led the Foxes to FA Cup wins over Millwall, Birmingham and Premier League Bournemouth before a 4-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge, where the hosts needed two injury-time goals to see off ten-man Leicester.
Chelsea made an impressive start to 2024-25 under Maresca and were second-favourites for the title before taking just two points from festive fixtures against Everton, Fulham, Ipswich and Crystal Palace.
The Blues are cruising through the Conference League, despite playing a second-string side in the competition, but their recent league slump means Maresca should be taking the FA Cup seriously.
Chelsea start their campaign at home to Morecambe, who are second-bottom of League Two, and the Blues' depth of attacking talent makes them dangerous opponents in knockout ties.
Even if first-team regulars Jackson, Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke are used sparingly in the cup, Maresca can unleash Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto, Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu as well as Joao Felix, who is still the fourth-most expensive footballer in history.
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Since Everton's FA Cup triumph in 1994-95, one of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City has lifted the trophy in 26 out of 29 seasons.
Newcastle, Aston Villa and Brighton are among the clubs hoping to break that stranglehold and Forest, who go into their home clash with Luton on a six-game winning streak in the league, will have their backers at 40-1.
Like Forest, Bournemouth's excellent league form gives them licence to have a proper crack at the cup this season and they host Championship side West Brom in the third round.
The Cherries have beaten Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham on their own patch in the league and their eight-match unbeaten run includes last month's 3-0 rout of Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Bournemouth's expected-goals stats underline the consistency of their league performances. They lost 3-0 at Liverpool in September but have won the xG battle in their other four defeats to Chelsea, Leicester, Brentford and Brighton as well as in draws with Forest, Newcastle, West Ham, Palace and Fulham.
Manager Andoni Iraola lost three Copa del Rey finals as an Athletic Bilbao player before coaching second-division Mirandes and unfancied Rayo Vallecano to the last four of the Copa.
Striker Evanilson's foot injury is a blow for the Cherries – as is the news that his backup, Enes Unal, has torn his ACL – but classy wingers Marcus Tavernier and Luis Sinisterra are back in training and January reinforcements could be brought in if required.
Bournemouth have repeatedly proved they can compete with, and beat, the top clubs in England and a deep run may not prove beyond them.
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