Weekend Review: Layers rejoice at FA Cup bore draws
The “magic of the FA Cup” was largely missing this weekend as seven third round 0-0 draws heavily favoured the bookies
The third round of the FA Cup is famous for its giant killings, and the bookies benefitted from a host of surprising, if goalless, results this weekend.
It started badly for the layers on Friday night when Liverpool debutant Virgil van Dijk headed the winner against Merseyside rivals Everton, before Manchester United despatched of Derby County, putting the punters in prime position.
However, the tide turned the bookies’ way on Saturday as Premier League sides Leicester City and Chelsea featured in televised 0-0 draws with Fleetwood Town and Norwich City respectively.
Kindred’s Ali Gill said: “Man Utd’s regulation 2-0 win over Derby went to the punters, and Virgil van Dijk’s dream debut was celebrated far less here than it would have been on the red half of Merseyside, as it left a small dent in the bank.
“But Chelsea being held by Championship side definitely went our way, giving us our biggest win of the weekend.”
There was little respite for the punters on Sunday, as holders Arsenal were eliminated after a 4-2 loss to struggling Championship side Nottingham Forest. “Arsenal were unsurprisingly the coupon busters in the FA Cup third round,” said Ladbrokes’ Alex Apati.
“It would have been difficult to have written a better set of FA Cup results over the weekend and turnover was excellent in relation to recent third round weekends,” said BetVictor’s Charlie McCann, although the firm did pay out on a €40k accumulator win to a punter in Dublin.
“His six-fold acca included Celta Vigo (+1) and Newport v Leeds – Celta equalised with eight minutes to go before Real Madrid missed a couple of late sitters, while Newport scored an 89th minute winner having been a goal down with a quarter of an hour to go – luck of the Irish?” pondered McCann.
Away from football, Betway enjoyed brisk business on the horseracing according to PR man Alan Alger.
He said: “There was some nicely competitive racing on the Saturday, with a win in the feature race of the day, the Welsh National, going to 16/1 shot Raz De Maree, although it wasn’t too disastrous.”
Elsewhere, England’s capitulation in the current Ashes series has left Kindred marginally ahead according to Gill: “Even the most patriotic punters seem to have abandoned England in the Ashes and Australia’s inevitable final test victory, to wrap up the series a sobering 4-0, left us ahead in vast contrast to the first test.”
Bet365’s Steve Freeth said of the series: “It was an Ashes that proved to be costly pre-game but good In-Play, which was no doubt helped by England’s ability to flatter to deceive.
“Our worst result was the draw in Melbourne, with us taking a hit before a ball was bowled.”