It will be another “David vs. Goliath” battle when League One side Preston North End host Manchester United in FA Cup action this Monday. The Red Devils are far from their finest form right now and they might be ripe for the picking – even if the odds say otherwise. All eyes will be on a Preston club that’s fighting for promotion to the Championship.
Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool – Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET
FA Cup Odds: Liverpool +105, Crystal Palace +280, Draw +260
Liverpool will certainly face a tough test without captain Steven Gerrard for its last match with Crystal Palace as he is expected to miss the trip because of a muscle strain. Crystal Palace has already knocked out Southampton and will throw everything they have at the Merseysiders in pursuit of another upset. The home side will certainly have a ton of momentum and confidence but the same can be said for Liverpool – even without Gerrard. The visitors are coming off a huge win over Tottenham Spurs in which enigmatic striker Mario Balotelli made the difference. It only took him 48 shots to finally get his first goal of the season but maybe that will spark him.
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With Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge both expected to play, there will be no shortage of weapons up front as Liverpool looks to build on its recent momentum and deliver for their injured captain. Pick: Liverpool
Arsenal vs. Middlesbrough – Sunday, 11:00 a.m. ET
FA Cup Odds: Arsenal -222, Middlesbrough +650, Draw +400
Middlesbrough has flourished under Spanish coach Aitor Karanka this year and their latest 2-1 win over Blackpool pushed them to the top of the championship table. Karanka’s side is now undefeated in its last eight games and it will be interesting to see if they can keep the Arsenal attackers at bay. It certainly won’t be easy for the visiting side at the Emirates Stadium especially considering the form that the Gunners have showed of late. They are 8-3-1 at home this season and have won by an average scoreline of 2.3 to 0.9. Arsenal followed up a 5-0 drubbing of Aston Villa with a 2-1 win over Spurs and then a 2-1 win over Leicester City this past Tuesday.
No Premier League team has more different goal scorers than the 14 for the Gunners this season and with Olivier Giroud and Santi Carzola playing at such a high level, this team’s attack is certainly about more than just Alexis Sanchez’s intimidating presence at the top of the line. Boro should be able to hang around for a while but ultimately Arsenal just has too many weapons to fail. Pick: Arsenal
Preston North End vs. Manchester United – Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET
FA Cup Odds: Manchester United -200, Preston +650, Draw +350
Manager Simon Grayson’s side will look to carry over the fine form it has shown in League One with a chance to upset Manchester United in their first meeting in more than four decades. The last time these sides met was all the way back in 1972 when United won the FA Cup match 2-0. You would have to rewind to another 13 years earlier to find the last time Preston North End beat the Red Devils, all the way back in 1959.
Preston will look to make the most out of its home-field advantage and they should have a ton of confidence heading in to this match after posting three wins in a row. United has been vulnerable on the road, winning just three times in 12 Premier League road games. They’ve been marred by inconsistency all season and while the presence of Robin Van Persie, Radamel Falcao, Wayne Rooney, and Angel di Maria make them an easy favorite on the betting odds, the truth is that anything can happen in the FA Cup. We’ll see if David can stun Goliath in a taste of European Monday night football. Pick: Manchester United
