Football tips: Brighton and Blades combine in Wednesday’s 7/1 FA Cup Double

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at the time of publication but subject to change

• Check out all the latest Football tips and previews now

7.30pm: Leicester v Brighton – Brighton to Win

It may simply turn out to be a mid-season blip, but Leicester look in danger of bottling the Champions League race for the second season in-a-row following a disappointing four-game run that has seen them pick up just five points.

Brendan Rodgers’ side faded badly towards the end of last season and that will surely be in the back of their minds as the Premier League inches towards its conclusion. They don’t have the squad depth to compete on two fronts and with a crucial game against Liverpool coming up on Saturday, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them rest players.

Wednesday, 7.30pm: Leicester v Brighton
BT Sport 2

Brighton, on the other hand, have been flying in recent weeks and have surely secured their safety after a run of seven points from three games.

Graham Potter’s side are finally getting the results that their performances deserve and they have now established a ten-point gap between themselves and a very poor bottom three. They can afford to put everything into this game and may just cause a minor cup upset at the King Power Stadium.

MORE TIPS:

• Everton can see off Spurs in Wednesday’s 28/1 FA Cup Bet Builder
• Paddy’s top trader reveals his FA Cup best bets this week
• Our 3 best bets for Swansea v Man City

7.30pm: Sheffield United v Bristol City – Sheffield United to Win

Sheffield United have a chance to distract themselves from their abject league season by reaching an FA Cup quarter-final for the second season in-a-row.

Ironically, the Blades’ recent upturn in league form can probably be attributed to their morale-boosting wins in the cup against lower-league opposition and they will hope to boost their confidence even further with a win against a struggling Bristol City side that has lost four of their last five games in the league.

Sheffield United’s form has dramatically improved since they beat Bristol Rovers in the third-round of the Cup, and they have won five of their last eight games in all competitions; the three games that they failed to win were all narrow defeats against Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City.

Wednesday, 7.30pm: Sheffield United v Bristol City
BBC Red Button/BBC iPlayer

They are almost certainly going down to the Championship next season where they will most likely join Wednesday night’s opponents, but they should at least restore some pride by reaching the last-eight.

Bristol City, meanwhile, desperately need to arrest their poor form if they want to get back into the play-off picture and can do without the distraction of a cup run, especially with crucial league games on the horizon.

It’s difficult to see anything but a home win at Bramall Lane.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at the time of publication but subject to change

FA Cup Wednesday double

7.30pm: Leicester v Brighton – Brighton to Win
7.30pm: Sheffield United v Bristol City – Sheffield United to Win

THURSDAY’S TOP TIPS

• The 3 Best Bets for Wolves v Southampton at 5.30pm
• Our 18/1 Bet Builder for Barnsley v Chelsea in the late kick-off

READ MORE

• Matt Le Tissier: Southampton can bounce back from the 9-0 – they’ve done it before
• Matt Le Tissier: I thought Ali Dia had won a competition to train with Southampton
• Matt Le Tissier: ‘Glenn Hoddle was my hero – and a bit of a tw*t sometimes’

THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW