One of the FA Cup quarter-final matches will take place on Sunday at Deepdale, where Preston will host Aston Villa. This is a game with plenty of potential for a favorable betting outcome.
Match Preview
Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston is the only Championship team left in the FA Cup’s final eight. However, their journey to the quarter-finals hasn’t been overly surprising, as they’ve played all their matches at home against lower-division opponents. They’ve defeated Charlton Athletic (2-1), Wycombe (0-0, extra time 0-0, pens 4-2), and Burnley (3-0) to reach this stage.
This deep cup run is the club’s first in 20 years. Despite their success, Preston hasn’t always been effective in the FA Cup. In 8 of their last 11 matches in the tournament, they failed to win in regular time, recording two draws and six losses.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, comfortably defeated Cardiff 2-0 in the previous round. To reach the quarter-finals, Unai Emery’s team overcame much tougher competition, first beating West Ham 2-1 and then eliminating Tottenham by the same scoreline. All these matches took place at Villa Park.
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The last time Villa reached this stage in the FA Cup was during the 2014/15 season, when they reached the final but lost 4-0 to Arsenal. Villa is in excellent form in the competition, having won four and drawn one of their last six FA Cup matches, and they are the favorites for this encounter.
Probable Lineups
Preston: Frederik Woodman – Kaine Kesler, Lewis Gibson, Liam Lindsay – Alistair McCann, Stefan Thordarson, Brad Potts, Ryan Ledson, Robbie Brady – Milutin Osmajic, Will Keane
Aston Villa: Emiliano Martinez – Ezri Konsa, Ian Maatsen, Lamar Bogarde, Andres Garcia – John McGinn, Youri Tielemans – Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, Leon Bailey – Ollie Watkins
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- The last meeting between the teams was in the 2018/19 season, where they drew twice in the Championship.
- The “Both Teams to Score” bet has been successful in 4 of the last 5 encounters.
- The “Total Over 2.5 Goals” bet has hit in 2 out of the last 5 matchups.
Prediction
Bookmakers are backing Villa as the favorites with odds of 1.47 for an away win. With tough matches against Brighton and PSG ahead for Villa, we suggest betting on “Preston to win with a +1.5 handicap” at odds of 1.75, given their solid home form and Villa’s upcoming challenges.
