Sunday FA Cup tips: Newcastle and Brighton to keep it clean at 8/1

• All Premier League FA Cup affairs aren't usually feisty

• A familiar punt at St James' where there is a stingy referee

• Our Cheltenham offer is live! Get a completely free bet every weekend until the Festival

Football... Only Bettor. Listen to the latest episode now.

Jones was onto Anthony Taylor early...

Newcastle vs Brighton, 13:45 (ITV1)

FA Cup games involving teams from the same league are the scourge of the competition. What's the point? They play each other twice in the league anyway, let's see some upsets.  

Well let me tell you, I am very excited for this double billing of Premier League on Premier League in the cup this Sunday because I think I have found a serious quirk of the competition: a lack of cards. 

Across the last nine seasons of FA Cup fifth round action and tallied up the card totals. 

In 72 games, there has been the following: 

0 cards - 13.8%
Under 1.5 - 27.8%
Under 2.5 - 44.4%
Under 3.5 - 65.3%
Under 4.5 - 88.9%

Whittle this down to just the 15 all Premier League affairs and it is even more exciting. Four have ended cardless, six have seen under 1.5 cards, 10 under 3.5 and 13 under 4.5 cards. 

This clash at St James' Park is particularly interesting because of the referee. 

It is Anthony Taylor and as highlighted by Lewis Jones in the Betfair Betting Only Bettor podcast, he is particularly stringent when it comes to flashing the cards. 

He didn't dish out a single one in City vs Liverpool on last Sunday, that is the fifth time he has refereed a cardless game in 30 appearances this season. 

Across his last eight, Taylor has given three cards or less seven times, one or less five times and none twice. 

Under 2.5 cards are priced at 7/24.50 with the Sportsbook and under 1.5 is available at 8/19.00, both appeal on Sunday. 

Keep it clean at Old Trafford

Manchester United vs Fulham, 16:30 (BBC One)

Rinse and repeat for the clash between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford. 

The sides have picked up 121Y and 5R cards between them domestically, which is a slight concern. 

In this competition, the Red Devils trip to the Emirates saw eight cards, another worry, but there was only one in the clash with Leicester. 

Fulham's FA Cup games have seen four cards in total but only one going the way of the Cottagers. 

To be honest though, the crooks of the bet isn't the card form of the teams involved domestically or their tallies in the previous rounds of the FA Cup, it is about the competition as a whole and its consistently stingy card tallies. 

Last season, five of the eight games at this stage saw one or fewer cards flashed. 

Under 2.5 cards is just under 3/14.00 and under 1.5 is 15/28.50 with the Sportsbook, both are worth a punt. 

I'll also be having a nibble on the under 2.5 card double at 16/117.00 and the under 1.5 card double at 75/176.00 from across the two games. 

Stuart Atwell is the referee at Old Trafford. His career Premier League average is 3.76 and this drops to 2.83 in the FA Cup. 

Now read more football previews and get our experts' tips