23rd Jan 2014 | FA Cup
Eagles 14/5 To Beat Lower League Opponents
Conventional wisdom suggests that lowly top flight teams sacrifice the Cup to preserve their league ambitions. But Wigan were a clear example last season that this isn't always the case.
A lot of people are tipping the upset here, by which they mean a Wigan triumph, but according to the bookies it’s a victory for Premier League Palace that would really rate as a shock! Athletic are a best price of 23/20 (Bet365) to win with the Eagles as long as 14/5 with BetVictor.
While the logic behind a potential home win is easy to understand, there doesn’t seem to be any real justification for the disparity in the odds here. Tony Pulis’s boys won 2-0 at WBA in the last round without several of the regular starters so they may handle Championship opponents with similar efficiency.
The Latics may be the FA Cup holders, but to all intents and purposes they are a mid-table second-tier club these days. Wigan lost 3-0 to relegation threatened Doncaster last time out and must really be opposed here.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 22:18 23rd Jan, 2014 but subject to change
