2018-19 FA Cup Semifinal Betting Odds and Preview: Manchester City on Quest for Four Trophies
Manchester City. Pictured: Kevin De Bruyne
- Manchester City continue their quest to win all four major trophies this season as they take on Brighton as -800 favorites in the FA Cup semifinals.
- Man City have already won the League Cup, currently lead the Premier League, and are still alive in the FA Cup semifinal and Champions League quarterfinal.
- Wolves and Watford will square off in the other FA Cup semifinal matchup on Sunday (11 a.m. ET on ESPN+) to determine who will meet in the final on May 18th.
England’s FA Cup is the oldest recognized soccer tournament in the world and this year marks the 138th edition of the competition.
Chelsea are the defending champions from 2017-18 but were eliminated by Manchester United in the fifth round in February. Arsenal hold the most FA Cup titles with 13, but they were also knocked out by Manchester United this season in the fourth round.
The semifinals (April 6/7) and final (May 18) will again be played at neutral-site Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Here’s a look at odds to win the 2018-19 FA Cup throughout the tournament as well as betting breakdowns for each semifinal match-up.
Odds to win FA Cup
- All four teams remaining are from the Premier League and they all had odds of 33-1 or better before the fourth round.
- Manchester City have been at the top throughout the tournament and are now odds-on favorites at -275 to win the FA Cup.
- Brighton’s odds actually got worse after advancing to the semifinal due to their match-up with Man City.
Manchester City vs. Brighton (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
Odds to reach final: Man City -2500, Brighton +1250
3-way moneyline: Man City -775, Brighton +2200, Draw +800
Manchester City opened in the -550 range two weeks ago, but odds have shot up into the -750/-800 range around the betting market.
The Citizens had no problems getting past Cardiff in midweek EPL action, winning 2-0, but they did lose left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko to a hamstring injury. He had been starting the majority of EPL matches and his absence will certainly test their depth on the defensive wings.
There’s no concerns up top as Manchester City could have realistically scored about ten goals against Cardiff if they finished their chances, a very scary proposition for Brighton this weekend.
The over/under is listed at 3 and 3.5 around the market which is particularly high for a cup semifinal, especially since both are EPL teams. Despite the high total, bettors have been hammering the over and sportsbooks have reacted accordingly.
Manchester City have reached the FA Cup semifinal 13 times and made it to the final on 10 occasions.
Brighton have advanced to the final just once in their history, a loss to Manchester United in 1982-83.
Wolves vs. Watford (Sunday, 11 a.m. ET on ESPN+)
Odds to reach final: Wolves -125, Watford +115
3-way moneyline: Wolves +160, Watford +190, Draw +230
Wolves-Watford is obviously expected to be more competitive than Man City-Brighton and oddsmakers initially gave the big edge to Wolves.
However, early bettors disagreed and were all over Watford to drop their moneyline from +230 down to +190. Wolves originally opened in the +130 range but have increased to +160 around the market where the line currently stands.
This will be the 15th FA Cup semifinal for Wolves and first since 1998.
Watford have reached the FA Cup semifinal on seven occasions but only one final back in 1983-84.
Value Play
- Manchester City-Brighton Over 3 (-125)
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