The FA Cup is the great annual festival of football, where teams from across England and Wales compete for the title. The competition is the pinnacle of domestic cups and has seen giants killed and underdogs crowned. Hundreds of non-league teams strive to reach the final rounds, so it’s a great chance for teams who wouldn’t normally play each other to prove themselves.

In this guide, we’ll take you through what you need to know about FA Cup betting, odds, winners, and when you need to keep your eyes peeled.

FA Cup betting: A brief history

The FA Cup, or Football Association Cup, is a national tournament that predominantly takes place across England. However, there are five Welsh clubs that also take part in the draw.

It’s a knockout tournament with more than 700 teams taking part. Non-league sides have to qualify for the main competition across six preliminary rounds before the ‘competition proper’ begins.

The competition proper takes place over seven rounds and a final, where two sides thrash it out to be crowned champion.

The tournament is, in fact, the world’s oldest football competition of its kind at national level! Teams have taken part in the FA Cup since 1871, and there have been more than a few interesting winners over the years. It’s often what helps to make FA Cup betting odds so popular!

FA Cup betting odds: What’s on offer?

LeoVegas strives to offer as broad and as competitive a range of FA Cup odds as possible. We understand that many punters will be looking to get in on some outright tournament markets, which you can bet on ahead of time.

You can mix up your betting slip a little by taking a punt on who you think the tournament’s biggest goal scorer will be, or even how many goals will be scored in the final and the outright winner.

If you’re new to FA Cup betting, it’s usually best to start simple. Betting on exact score lines, red cards and goal totals carries a high risk – always know your limits even if you have plenty of football knowledge to go spare!

FA Cup betting: Fixtures and dates

FA Cup fixtures, of course, change every year. Therefore, it’s always worth checking in at LeoVegas nearer the start of the competition to plan out your dates and betting!

Typically, you can expect FA Cup fever to start around November and to close the following May. It usually runs alongside league fixtures up to the end of season.

However, if you want to look into the qualifying competition, these preliminary rounds start in August and finish in October.

Here’s a quick rundown of the most important dates you need to know for the FA Cup competition proper – make a note, bookmark us (or download our sportsbook app), and come back closer to the time for the latest odds – and maybe a bonus or two!

• Round 1 (40 Fixtures) - November
• Round 2 (20 Fixtures) - December
• Round 3 (32 Fixtures)- January
• Round 4 (16 Fixtures) - January
• Round 5 (8 Fixtures) - February
• Quarter Finals (4 Fixtures) - March
• Semi-Finals (2 Fixtures) - April
• Final - May

FA Cup final betting and odds

All eyes are on Wembley, London, for the FA Cup final when it rolls around in May. As it’s such a momentous occasion, with two teams out of hundreds having got this far, LeoVegas is always on hand with some special markets and odds to help make betting more interesting.

For example, you can bet in-play as the FA Cup action unfolds, meaning that if the game heads to extra time or penalties, you can bet on the nail-biting action. Decide who’s going home empty-handed, who’s scoring the first goal (even if it heads to penalties), and when that goal’s taking place.

In the FA Cup final, the gloves are off – the two sides locking horns in this fixture will be performing at their best. This means that there might be some eye-opening strikes, missed chances, questionable refereeing decisions and painful VAR adjudications.

Even if your team haven’t made the final, there’s still lots of action to bet on. Nearer the time, we’ll share some tips and market-leading odds for you to try out.

Teams to watch in FA Cup betting

Before you start betting on the FA Cup, it’s normally a good idea to take a look at a few past winners and to gauge form. However, as this competition is prone to many upsets and surprising scorelines, it’s frequently anyone’s game!

However, it has been a Premiership team’s game in recent years. Manchester City claimed the FA Cup thrice between 2010 and 2023, but Arsenal managed four wins in the same timeframe.

Don’t discount Liverpool, however, who broke a 16-year drought to win the title over Chelsea in the 2022 final. Spare a thought for Chelsea, as while they’ve won the contest plenty of times, they came runners-up in the FA Cup finals of 2020, 2021 and 2022!

Unexpected FA Cup betting winners

Never overlook an underdog or a wildcard when it comes to FA Cup winners betting! Although the history of the final will tell you it’s unlikely that a team outside the top flight will take home the trophy, there are a few more unexpected winners in the hall of fame.

Leicester City, for example, have a reputation for pulling off shocking upsets every once in a while. Not long after their jaw-dropping Premier League title in 2016, the Foxes overcame Chelsea 2-0 in the 2021 FA Cup final – their first-ever win (and fourth-ever final appearance).

You won’t have to go too far back to spot the likes of Wigan Athletic in the hall of fame, either, beating Manchester City 1-0 in their first and only FA Cup final to date!

It’s been a while, sadly, since the likes of Leeds, Sunderland, Southampton and Ipswich won the Cup – but the most important thing is that they have! Check your team’s form and check out our odds.

FA Cup betting tips

Leading up to the first round of the FA Cup and on the road to the final, there will be plenty of tips and guides on betting on the tournament as LeoVegas looks forward to Wembley.

Ahead of any kind of tournament betting, however, we always advise bettors to take their time in choosing the markets and odds they wish to punt on. Pick a team you know well or be extra certain that you review the form of any side you place money on!

When it comes to betting itself, be clear on your limits. You never quite know how the FA Cup will go – meaning that just because you bet on one upset, it doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to be lucky for the rest of the tournament.

Otherwise, we encourage you to keep track of all the action. Follow the scores and the teams’ journeys and research before making any bets.

FA Cup betting: FAQS

Let’s close with some FA Cup betting questions.

When is the FA Cup draw?

The first-round FA Cup draw will typically take place in mid-October.

When is the FA Cup final?

The FA Cup final traditionally takes place every May as a fitting end to most football league seasons.

Where is the FA Cup final held?

The FA Cup final takes place at Wembley Stadium in London. However, for a few years during the 2000s, finals took place at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff because Wembley was undergoing mass renovations at the time. Since 2007, the final’s home has been Wembley.

Who has won the FA Cup on the most occasions?

Arsenal have won the FA Cup more times than any other team, with 14 trophies. However, Manchester United are not too far behind with 12 wins, while Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs all claim eight wins each. Teams who have taken part in FA Cup finals but are yet to win include QPR, Crystal Palace, Watford, Hull, Stoke and Luton.