FA Cup Tips: Reading more at risk of upset than Leeds or West Brom

Michael Lintorn
29 January 2016

Reading are yet to perform to their full potential since bringing back Brian McDermott as manager

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The Opta stats flag up a favourite to back, an outsider to support and a match with a high probability of ending level...

"Walsall beat Championship side Brentford in the last round."

Recommended Bet: Back Walsall to win away to Reading @ 4.77/2

Bolton v Leeds (Saturday, 15:00)

Three of the last four encounters between these clubs at the Macron Stadium were draws

Bolton have been the Championship's joint-most prolific home drawers, sharing spoils in a massive eight of their 14 clashes with fellow second-tier opponents. One of those draws was obtained by a 1-1 scoreline against Leeds, and the exact same thing happened when they hosted the Whites last term.

Neil Lennon's cash-strapped strugglers were held in the third round of the FA Cup too by non-league Eastleigh, though that result contradicts the overall mood of improvement created by a run of just two home reverses in nine. Leeds are similarly hard to beat right now, suffering only two losses in 12 and drawing three in six on the road.

Recommended Bet: Back the draw @ 3.412/5

Reading v Walsall (Saturday, 15:00)

Walsall beat Championship side Brentford in the last round

The Saddlers have faced three different teams from the league directly above their own this season in cup collisions and, in an uplifting occurrence for a squad with promotion ambitions, they have triumphed on every single one of them - two of them on their travels.

The midlanders prevailed past Nottingham Forest at the City Ground and Brighton at the Bescot Stadium in the Capital One Cup in August under Dean Smith's watch. Their boss then left them to climb a tier with Brentford, but successor Sean O'Driscoll showed that he too has the magic touch by claiming victory away to the old manager's new employers earlier this month.

Reading are on an uninspiring sequence of three wins and seven defeats in 13.

Recommended Bet: Back Walsall to win @ 4.77/2

West Brom v Peterborough (Saturday, 15:00)

West Brom are unbeaten in 11 FA Cup home games against sides from a lower league (W7 D4)

The Baggies required two bites at removing Bristol City in the third round, but the above stat spells out that such struggles against teams lower down the food chain are uncharacteristic. Peterborough are a division below the Robins and are winless in three outings since their third-round tie, losing the latter two.

Opta also encourage Tony Pulis, who was a finalist with Stoke in 2010/11, with the revelation that West Brom have won two and drawn the other of their three FA Cup meetings with the League One club, defeating them 3-0 away at this stage of the 2007/08 edition, when they reached the semi-finals.

Recommended Bet: Back West Brom to win @ 1.738/11

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