Leyton Orient v Manchester City: Predictions, tips and bet builder as Citizens are in FA Cup cruise control

Manchester City come into this FA Cup fourth round clash licking their wounds from the 5-1 hammering by Arsenal at the weekend.

While sixth-place in League One Leyton Orient lost their 14 league game unbeaten run to Stockport at the weekend.

However much this is going to be dressed up as a potential cup shock by the media looking to draw in a big Saturday lunchtime crowd (1215 GMT kick off), it shouldn’t be. Unless Pep Guardiola goes full tinker man on his squad.

Here, we take a closer look at Saturday’s tips and pick out some of the best bets which, if put together in a bet builder, will draw in odds of around 13/2.

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(All odds are correct at the time of article publication)

Leyton Orient v Manchester City bet builder

Both teams to score - no - 13/20

Over 3.5 goals - 3/4

Darren Pratley two or more fouls - 2/5

Jack Grealish to be fouled two or more times - 2/9

 

Both teams to score - no

There’s no value in backing a Manchester City win or a Manchester City qualify, so we are leaning into a negative both teams to score.

After letting five in against Arsenal, many think Orient will have enough about them to grab at least one goal against City’s shaky defence that has only kept three clean sheets in the last ten.

However, those clean sheets came against weaker opposition in Ipswich, Leicester and Salford, and we can put Orient in that camp too.

Orient haven’t scored in three of their last five matches, two of those three at home. If they can’t break down Stockport, Stevenage and Peterborough then we can’t see them netting against City.

Over 3.5 goals

Manchester City took no prisoners against Salford in the third round of the FA Cup in early January.

An 8-0 scoreline, with a young second-string team, and it could have been more if City had converted two big missed chances.

Granted, Salford are a League Two side, so we wouldn’t expect League One Leyton Orient to be blasted away so comprehensively, but we still believe at least four goals is safe ground.

Pep Guardiola will rotate the squad and field youngsters hungry for action alongside non-starting eleven types looking to prove a point, so they will be on the rampage.

City, who are the third top scorers in the Premier League with 48 in 24 games, will also be looking to put the Arsenal thumping to the back of their minds, and there’s nothing worse than a wounded animal, just ask Brighton fans last weekend.

For one more tick in this box, all of City’s last eight games have seen at least four goals.

 

Darren Pratley two or more fouls

At 39 years old, former Swansea stalwart, and current Orient captain, Darren Pratley will no doubt be patronised from the rafters by the TV pundits for being a great pro.

Yes, yes, well done and all that. For us those 39-year-old legs will be in the thick of the action in the centre of midfield and will struggle to keep up with the City players buzzing around him.

This isn’t ageist, I only deal in facts. Pratley is Orient’s biggest fouler this season, committing on average 2.3 a game and he’s been whistled ten times in the last four league games.

 

Jack Grealish to be fouled two or more times

Despite the huge price tag, Jack Grealish has become a forgotten man at Man City and spends most of the time sitting on the bench.

He does get wheeled out for cup competitions and the third round clash with Salford saw him play the entire game. The former Villa man capitalised on this, getting a goal and two assists, and he netted in the Champions League defeat to PSG.

Grealish should get another full run out against Orient, though he’s unlikely to get the freedom of Brisbane Road...sorry, the Gaughan Group Stadium.

So rather than go for goals or assists, we are looking at the amount of times he’s hauled down, especially as he was fouled four times against Salford.

He’s the third most fouled Manchester City player in the Premier League this season with 21, despite playing a mere 604 minutes. Only Phil Foden (26) and Rico Lewis (24) are above him and they’ve played more than double the amount of time.

 

READ MORE: Who are the best football tipsters and who has the best strike rate?

READ MORE: What is a bet builder? A simple guide to how bet builders work

READ MORE: What is an accumulator or acca bet?

 

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