What are the odds City beat United in Sunday's FA Cup showdown? Derek McGovern's Bets of the Day

By Derek McGovern in Betting Blog

Published 21:30 06/01/12

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The fact that Chelsea are favourites for the FA Cup tells you all you need to know about this year’s competition.

Namely, that the bookies have made a pig’s ear of pricing it up.

Backing the Blues at 6-1 would be the biggest mistake you made since your last one, which was reading this column.

The winner of Sunday’s Manchester derby will become favourites in the next round.

Indeed, there’s half a chance that Chelsea’s price will actually increase even if they knock out Portsmouth, especially with Didier Drogba flying off to the Africa Cup Of Nations and ­Fernando Torres staying.

This is realistically Chelsea’s best chance of a trophy, if I’m not being too unrealistic, but ­something is clearly amiss at Stamford Bridge. In Torres’s case, it’s usually a sitter.

The half-cocked show of unity against Wolves in midweek served, in Alan Hansen’s view, only to paper over the cracks.

Boss Andre Villas-Boas, sensitive to media criticism, is more likely to crack over the papers.

The Blues have been criticised for playing with a high line but AVB says from where he’s crouching it looks fairly low.

What Chelsea are, most of all, is eminently vulnerable, even at the Bridge, and I would ­therefore steer your attention to Ladbrokes’ FA Cup special offer: If you back a team to beat higher-division opponents in the third round and the match finishes level, your bet will stand in the replay.

While it would take a wild optimist to expect 14-1 Pompey to win at Chelsea on Sunday, with the Ladbrokes offer you also have the draw on your side and that’s 10 times better than having Torres on your side.

Tie of the round is the Manchester derby which sees City warm favourites to wrap up a third successive win over their rivals in competitive matches (not that you could call the Old ­Trafford clash competitive).

For years United boss Alex Ferguson’s motto has been: “if it ain‘t broke don‘t fix it.” But this season everything is broken, including player curfews, yet Fergie says he won’t buy his way out of trouble. Not after buying his way into trouble (Berbatov, De Gea, Carrick anybody?).

City are 11-10 to beat United inside 90 minutes and 4-6 to qualify for the next round.

Both bets should be backed by both sets of fans – those who live in Manchester and United fans.

Fulham are over-priced at 50-1 with Hills (only 25-1 with ­Totesport) to clinch the trophy.

Hills offer 7-4 for the semi-finals to be contested solely by Premier League sides, as has happened in each of the last three years.

It is possible for 18 Premier League teams to reach the fourth round – if you fancy it you can get 33-1 with Hills.

I’m sure you can also get psychiatric help.

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BET OF THE DAY

Hospital staff take stick but I've always found them thoroughly decent people - especially those in the ultrasound department.

Get on Blackburn at 5-1 to win at Newcastle.

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MACCA'S ACCA

Every family should have at least three children. That way, if one is a genius, the other two can support him.

Get on Derby (23-20), Doncaster (Evs), Sundeland (21-20) and Wigan (6-4).

The four-timer with Hills pays more than 20-1.

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One-hit wonder Chesney Hawkes has been replaced by one-hit wonder Chico in Dancing On Ice – bad news for Chesney and even worse for viewers.

Chico set up a website after his X Factor appearances. It got one hit. Hawkes fractured a leg in training – unluckily for him it was his own.

He said his absence from the show has left his ­children distraught – they have to spend more time with him now. Chico said appearing on ice does not scare him because for the last five years that’s where his career has been.

The slim-hipped slimester has been cut from 33-1 to 16-1 by Hills to win the new series, which begins on ITV on Sunday.

For the winner, it’s hard to look beyond Scouse ­temptress and trained ballet dancer Jennifer Ellison at 5-1.

Over on Celebrity Big Brother, Natasha Giggs is an early favourite for first eviction and, given her history, that’s no surprise.

How strange it was to see her entering Big Brother when for years big brother had been entering her.

Natalie Cassidy is 11-4 favourite with Hills to win the show.

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