FA Cup, quarter-final, Sunday, 30/03/2025 at 2:30 pm
A cup quarter-final at a second division club? A damn dangerous business trip! The FA Cup will see the best eight teams play each other at the weekend, and with Preston North End, an underdog has also fought its way into the last eight.
It will therefore certainly not bother the home side that they are the clear underdog in my Preston Aston Villa betting tip.
Nevertheless, I personally believe that they will not be without a chance. Accordingly, I will now tell you why I am going for the +2 handicap bet here.
Seven times in the Premier League, once in the Championship – Preston North End are in an exceptional position this weekend. The first English football champions from 1889 would like to continue their cup fairytale.
The Lilywhites are in the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1966, which has already been celebrated with the fans. What led to this success, pure luck of the draw – or strong performances?
In the case of Preston, it is likely to be a mix of both. In the third round, when the team entered the competition, they beat Charlton Athletic 2-1, followed by a small drama against Wycombe Wanderers.
Since no goals were scored, the penalty shootout had to decide the game, and there was no criticism of the Whites’ nerves. In the round of 16, they finally played against Burnley.
In the clash of two second division clubs, Preston secured a clear 3-0 win. Yes, they have made it to this quarter-final without yet facing a club from the Premier League.
And: So far, Preston have only played home games. Let’s take a look at what the team does in their day-to-day lives. They are ranked 14th and have already drawn an incredible 17 times!
10 wins in 28 rounds should only scare Aston Villa to a limited extent. With 39 goals in 38 games, the offense is not exactly standing out positively. Is it an advantage that Aston Villa are playing at home again?
On the one hand, yes, because Preston has only lost twice at home. On the other hand, I only see seven wins, because ten times the points have been fairly shared.
Anyone who watches the Lilywhites play also knows that it usually stays exciting until the last second. What about Aston Villa as an opponent? Have you played each other regularly in recent years?
Between 2016 and 2019, both clubs were in the Championship together, with four of those six duels ending in a draw. However, I don’t want to attach too much importance to the history, because the Villans have now become a Champions League club.
And the fact that a club that will play the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris St. Germain in April is favored against a second-division club is really no surprise.
With our betting providers with PayPal function, values of 1.45 to 6.50 can be seen. Almost as high, considering that the outright win bet is almost profitable.
Aston Villa and the FA Cup, that’s another story in itself. They lost the final to Arsenal in 2015, and have only reached the quarter-finals twice since 2000. But: they won both of those times.
In the current competition, the draw has brought them more challenging opponents than in Preston. 2-1 against West Ham, 2-1 against Tottenham and 2-0 against Cardiff – they would not have been disgraced by an early exit!
Two goals in all previous games so far – a look at Interwetten could be worthwhile here. There is a betting option there to bet on exactly two goals on Sunday. The odds climb up to 3.25.
The Villans fans are currently worried about whether top striker Ollie Watkins will be fit again in time for the cup clash. Knee problems have sidelined him recently, but with six goals and three assists from his last 11 league games, he has been immensely important.
Speaking of the league, how do I rate the current form? It’s been a wild ride of results, but on the road, four wins and 15 goals from 14 games is really far from impressive.
Difficult weeks for Aston Villa, you have to be prepared for both second division teams and Paris St. Germain! First comes the FA Cup, then the Champions League. Consistency is not exactly one of their strengths in 2024/25.
The Villans are known for their tight results, and that has got around as far as Preston. The team at home there loves draws and can be really unpleasant.
I can well imagine that the guests will have a few problems here. Although I naturally believe they can get through, I am betting on a close match and therefore predict:
A 2-0 HT is enough for Preston to “win”!
