HAMPSHIRE rivals Aldershot and Portsmouth meet for an FA Cup first round replay on Wednesday. Mark O’Haire (@MarkOHaire) looks at the best bets available…
Aldershot v Portsmouth | Wednesday 19.45 | BT Sport 1
I’ve made it clear many a time before that I don’t often do ‘cupsets’ and I don’t really believe in the ‘magic of the cup’. But scrap that on Wednesday, I’m all over the underdogs from Aldershot.
After battling to a well-deserved 2-2 draw at Fratton Park 10 days ago, the Shots will fancy their chances at home in front of a partisan crowd. The home side are priced up as 9/4 shots with Bet365 and look well capable of spring a surprise.
With the hosts looking a little inflated in the Match Odds market, we can get a bit of juice out of the Draw No Bet price. Aldershot are 6/5 with Ladrbrokes with the DNB bet giving us a bit of insurance on the draw.
The home side have made it past the first round of the FA Cup in their last five entries. However, despite winning the competition in 2008, visitors Pompey are winless in their last six FA Cup matches dating back to 2010!
What’s more, Andy Awford’s men have now lost six of their last nine away matches and scored just once on their travels in seven. Throw in their record at Fratton Park and it’s just two victories in 11.
They’re grim statistics that leave Awford under big pressure to deliver. An FA Cup exit at the hands of Conference rivals Aldershot could plant another nail in the former academy manager’s coffin.
It’s just one defeat in seven for the Shots now and only one loss in six outings at the Recreation Ground for Andy Scott’s men. They look primed to extend that solid recent run with a positive result in this FA Cup showdown.
Best Bets
Aldershot v Portsmouth – Aldershot draw no bet (6/5 Ladbrokes)
