LIVE on BBC1 this Wednesday night two sides doing well in their respective divisions, Southampton and Ipswich, meet in the FA Cup. Chris Graham (@chrisgraham79) looks at the best bets.
Ipswich v Southampton | Wednesday 19:55 | BBC1
The money seems to have come for Southampton since the odds initially went up. At the time of writing (5.32pm on Wednesday since you're asking) the odds-against on Saints has disappeared. I see the logic in that.
Mick McCarthy's Ipswich have had an outstanding season in the Championship. They sit third after just four defeats in their 25 league games and the ex-Ireland manager seems to be weaving magic over at Portman Road on a very small budget.
I might be bang out of order here but I think the Championship has a weak feel to it this year and you'd struggle to see the top sides doing some damage in the top-flight next season.
If Ipswich get promoted how well do you think they'll do in next year's Premier League? I'm a big fan of McCarthy but I reckon keeping them up will be beyond him.
What price do you think Southampton would be if this was a Premier League match? I think there's a case to suggest they could be shorter than the odds available on them here (20/23 Paddy Power).
Obviously this is a Cup game and you'd expect Ronald Koeman to rest players but they've already shown in the League Cup (reached Quarter-Finals) that they're a Cup friendly team.
I wouldn't be surprised if McCarthy rested players too. Does he need this competition on top of the 46 game Championship schedule? He's in with a chance of pulling off an incredible feat getting Ipswich promoted and I reckon he'll see the FA Cup as a distraction.
His side were knocked out by League One Preston last season and the club itself haven't won an FA Cup tie for five years. Grim reading.
It's an Asian Handicap bet for me here. I'll side with Southampton -1 at 57/40 with Bet365. That means if they win by one goal I get my stake returned. If they win by more than one goal I get paid out at those odds.
Best Bet
Ipswich v Southampton – Southampton -1 Asian Handicap (57/40 Bet365)
