Bradford v Reading Tips | 7th March 2015 | BT Sport 1

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THE episode of Bradford's march to the FA Cup Quarter-Finals has been one of the stories of the season. But does it end here Chris Graham (@chrisgraham79)?

Bradford City v Reading | Saturday 12:45 | BT Sport 1

This is my kind of Cup tie usually, two non-top flight sides locked in action deep into the tournament, but I must say I'm finding it hard to fit this into my weekend schedule. It's going to be 15 degrees where I live on Saturday, and this match is just not enticing enough for me to skip the sun.

My gut feel when I looked at the odds was that Bradford were priced up too short (13/8 with Betfred), and I'm sticking with that line of thought. Much will be made of their awful Glastonbury-esque pitch and supposed huge advantage that brings them, but a narrow win over Crawley and draw to Walsall since the last round hardly smacks of a huge weight in their favour.

I backed Reading to go down this season at a large 33/1 back in mid-August, but the day Steve Clarke was appointed as their manager I gave up hope. Clarke is a good coach who was unfairly sacked by West Brom in 2013.

Reading have gone through a lame spell recently for sure. Three defeats in their last five matches since their Fifth Round win over Derby hardly inspires hope, but I'm (sort of) of the belief that overall focus may have been realigned to this forthcoming match after that I-Pro win.

The Royals sit 14 places higher than Bradford in the English pyramid, and on that rationale, should (at least) be fighting for favouritism. Before their recent blip, Clarke was getting a tune out of his side, with just one loss in nine between late-December and early-February.

Yeah, I'm happy to find a way of getting with Reading here. Clarke's big-match mentality could prove crucial after all. I'll back them Draw No Bet at 11/10 with Paddy Power. Just don't expect me to leave the sun to tune in though.

Best Bet

Bradford v Reading – Reading Draw No Bet (11/10 Paddy Power)

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About Author

Chris first got interested in betting back in 2000 when he began working in betting shops throughout Scotland. He has remained in the industry ever since, specialising in marketing and PR roles. Outside of betting, his interests are listening to Blur and following Queen Of The South.

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