Although everyone likes to talk about the 'magic of the Cup', be sure not to let it influence your betting strategy too much! Gone are the days when this competition was a wide-open betting contest and, although West Ham came desperately close to clinching the trophy in 2006, you have to go back to 1995 to find a winner from outside the 'Big Four'. On that occasion, Everton triumphed 1-0 against Man United, with the Red Devils bouncing back a season later to beat Liverpool by the same scoreline.

Indeed, since 1995, ten of the thirteen FA Cup finals have witnessed two goals or less - certainly a far cry from some of the high-scoring encounters witnessed in the late-eighties and early-nineties. Despite a veritable plethora of bookmaker markets for the finale, it's often difficult to glean value from a match which often hinges from a moment of genius or madness, so we should look towards the earlier rounds for the best bets.

Team news is often key when placing a bet on FA Cup matches, with many clubs treating the competition as less of a priority than league survival. This can be testified by Reading manager Steve Coppell consistently fielding his second-string team during the FA Cup ties of 2006/7, despite the Royals flying high in the Premiership. League 1 side Swansea also rewarded backers of some huge prices last season when they ousted an under-strength Sheffield United 3-0 at Bramall Lane.