FA Cup betting is a bet on history
Monday, June 29th, 2009
The FA Cup is perhaps the most prestigious domestic footballing competition in the world. It is the oldest competition, dating back to 1871, and as such is steeped in history. The FA Cup allows for some great betting opportunities as it is a knockout competition that pits some of England’s biggest teams against some of the smallest and world-class stars against amateurs.
The knock out format means there are plenty of opportunities for the smaller teams to claim a famous victory over one of the big boys. So a bet on the FA Cup means there are plenty of chances to win big if you back a team who claim a victory over a team placed much higher in the English league system. The chance of near impossible victories and the gulf in class of opponents in the earlier rounds means that it can be extremely exciting to place a bet on the FA Cup.
The most obvious FA Cup bet would be the outright winner. But if you are looking for an outside bet that could make you some serious money you may have to look elsewhere. England’s biggest clubs have dominated the competition for a number of seasons. Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool – collectively know as the English ‘Big Four’ – have won the competition 20 times in the past 23 years. And the last time a team outside the top flight won the FA Cup was in 1980 when West Ham beat Arsenal. Another thing to bear in mind when putting a bet on the FA Cup is a top-flight team has always been in the final.
However there have been some interesting results in the FA Cup that has made for some interesting betting. Teams from outside the Premier League can and do reach the later stages of the competition. For example Burnley, Cardiff and West Brom – who all were playing outside the Premier League – reached the FA Cup semi-finals.