The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. If you click links to other sites on this page, we will earn commission.
Aston Villa vs West Ham prediction: Ollie Watkins up for the cup
Follow our free football betting tips as Aston Villa host West Ham in the FA Cup third round on Friday
Aston Villa vs West Ham betting tips
The build-up to this one has been dominated by speculation surrounding the future of West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui, with the Hammers firing the Spaniard on Wednesday before the trip to Aston Villa on Friday night in the FA Cup (8pm, ITV1).
The way his future has been played out in the media has created a distraction to the team, with results not meeting the required level since David Moyes’ departure.
Both the board and fans couldn’t wait for the former Manchester United and Everton manager to leave in the summer but be careful what you wish for.
Lopetegui had been under pressure previously, particularly before the Premier League match with Wolves. Yet they won that match 2-1 and went on to pick up five points from their next three games, their best run of the season so far.
But two defeats from their last two matches, against Liverpool and Manchester City leaves the Hammers in a tricky spot, conceding nine goals and scoring just one, forcing the club to make a decisive change.
The FA Cup provides a change of scenery though, with Unai Emery eager to inspire a cup run for the hosts here. But who will advance to the fourth round?
Aston Villa vs West Ham betting preview: Villa to reach the fourth round
The speculation at the London Stadium won’t have distracted the home side one little bit and they will solely be focused on reaching the fourth round when the action finally gets underway on Friday night.
After losing seven consecutive FA Cup third-round matches between 2016-17 and 2022-23, Villa finally broke their third-round hoodoo last season when they beat Middlesbrough 1-0 thanks to a goal three minutes from time from Matty Cash. They were then knocked out in the next round, going down 3-1 at home to Chelsea in a replay after drawing the initial tie 0-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Villa are unbeaten in their last four matches with the Hammers and beat them 2-1 on the opening day of the season at the London Stadium. Lucas Paqueta scored from the penalty spot, for the home side, to cancel out an early strike from Amadou Onana before Jhon Duran scored his first of 12 goals scored this season.
Duran won’t be able to add to that tally on Friday as he sits out the third game of his suspension after being sent off against Newcastle on Boxing Day.
Football betting sites understandably have Villa as favourites for the tie at 7/10, while you can get 15/4 on West Ham to win in 90 minutes and 7/2 on a draw.
The fact that West Ham have lost their biggest attacking threats in Michail Antonio and captain Jarrod Bowen, means goals are going to be hard to come by while Villa have only failed to score at home three times in all competitions this season.
You can get 13/10 from betting apps on both teams not to score but we’re going for a simple Villa to win by one goal, especially when the odds are as good as 11/4.
After a busy few weeks of action and one less day to recover both managers might use this one as a game to rest players in, so we’re not expecting a classic but do fancy Villa to sneak through and be in the draw for the fourth round.
Aston Villa vs West Ham prediction 1: Villa to win by one goal - 11/4 Betway
Watkins to be the hero
Ollie Watkins has a pretty good record against West Ham, with four goals and one assist in nine appearances and with Duran due back from suspension next week he will be desperate to impress and keep his place in the starting eleven.
The season hasn’t quite gone according to plan for the England striker who has scored just eight goals in his 26 appearances and has been massively overshadowed by his fellow striker.
At this stage last season he already had 15 goals to his name and with a new international boss to impress as well he will want to get back to his best.
He scored from the penalty spot in the 2-2 draw with Brighton and betting sites have him at 4/1 to score first or last, or you can get 11/8 on him scoring anytime.
Aston Villa vs West Ham prediction 2: Watkins to score anytime - 11/8 BetMGM
Please gamble responsibly
When having a bet, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.
Sports betting can be addictive, so bettors should take precautions to keep themselves safe when using gambling sites.
Every licensed UK betting site should offer safer gambling tools, such as deposit limits, time outs, self-assessment questionnaires and self-exclusion options.
These are free tools to help punters stay in control and they are available at various gambling sites, including online bookmakers, casino sites, slot sites, and poker sites.
These operators may offer punters free bets or a casino bonus from time to time, but it’s important to treat these rewards with caution.
Read the terms and conditions before accepting any bonus as most new casino sites will require you to place a cash bet before handing out the reward.
Always remember that sports betting is meant to be fun. It should never be viewed as a guaranteed way to make money.
If you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
We aim to offer every online gambler and reader of The Independent a safe and fair platform through unbiased reviews and offers from the UK’s best online gambling companies.
Gambling can be addictive, always play responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. Gambling sites have a number of tools to assist you to stay in control, including deposit limits and time outs. If you think you have a problem, advice and support is available for you now from BeGambleAware or Gamcare.
Any offers or odds listed in this article are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Terms & Conditions apply to all offers.
