As promised on Twitter, we will continue to bring you improvements in the layout, selection criteria and profitability of our picks.

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If you're new to the blog you're joining at a great time, we've made an overall profit of +25.2PTS from our last 2 months of tipping (if you'd have bet £10 on each of our selections you'd have made yourself a tidy £252.00!).

Our tips will now be mostly delivered to you in singles, that you are free to back on their own or add them to your accumulator bets. We will work on a range of 1-10PTS placed per bet, based on our confidence in the bet and its likelihood of winning, alongside adjusting for the odds given.

 

FA Cup Selections for Jan 2nd - Jan 6th

Pick #1 (6 PT STAKE)

Barnsley v Middlesbrough - 03/01/15 @ 15:00 GMT

Middlesbrough WIN @ 1.833 (Ladbrokes/Coral/Betfred)

Middlesbrough recently secured the services of star striker Patrick Bamford until the end of the season and continue to operate as an impressive outfit with strength in depth in all positions. Some may think games such as this would be a chance for boss Karanka to rotate the squad and give less favoured players some valuable game time. However Karanka made his intentions clear to the BBC, stating "I have to transmit to the players that they have to play with the same motivation as them and play with our usual intensity and style. We know we are better than them, but we have to play in the same way as we do in the league."

Boro have only lost 2 of their last 26 cup ties versus teams in lower leagues and have already recorded comfortable wins over League One opposition this year with 3-1 and 3-0 wins over Preston and Oldham respectively, two sides both far higher in the table than their opposition on Saturday Barnsley. The Championship side have been heralded as having the best defence in the league having conceded just 17 goals in 24 games thus far this season alongside an away record of 4 clean sheets whilst conceding an average of just 0.83 goals per game. Taking all of this into account it is hard to see a way through for The Tykes, who have struggled for consistent form this season and should be outclassed by a strong Middlesbrough side.

 

 

Pick #2 (2 PT STAKE) 

Doncaster v Bristol City - 03/01/15 @ 15:00 GMT

Bristol City -1 HANDICAP @ 5.000 (Boylesports/Betfred/BetVictor)

Remarkably, of their 14 away fixtures so far this season, Bristol City have won 5 of them by 2 or more goals. They possess goalscoring threats from all areas, with Wilbraham and Agard up front sharing 21 goals between them alongside the aerial presence of 6ft5 centre back Aden Flint, who has scored an impressive 5 times from 28 appearances.

Of Doncaster's 11 home matches currently played so far this season they've lost 3 by 2 or more goals and will see the visit of the league leaders as tough encounter, especially considering they are to miss out on the services of midfielders Richie Wellens and Kyle Bennett as well as striker Nathan Tyson, all of whom are injured.

City will know last minute as to the fitness of strikers Wilbraham and Agard but it is believed that they will be able to field on-loan Fulham striker Matt Smith, scorer of 3 goals in his last 2 outings, after boss Steve Cotterill asked the Cottagers to over turn his cup ban.

 

Pick #3 (3 PT STAKE)

Burnley v Tottenham - 05/01/15 @ 19:45 GMT

Tottenham WIN & BTTS @ 3.900 (BWin)

Spurs won this fixture 2-1 just 2 weeks ago at White Hart Lane but will be in high spirits after their New Year's Day 5-3 thumping of Chelsea, undoubtably the best side in English football so far this season.

Considering they've only kept 1 clean sheet from 9 Premier League outings away from home there will be plenty of opportunities for Burnley to score. Clarets boss Sean Dyche labelled his side as 'outstanding' after their fightback to earn a 3-3 draw at St. James' Park on New Year's Day and will be delighted with the character his side have developed throughout the season, especially after coming back from 2-0 down to salvage a point versus an all-star Manchester City outfit.

Overall I feel Tottenham will be good value for a win here considering their recent impressive displays of attacking football but may leave themselves vulnerable to chances at the other end that the likes of Danny Ings, Ashley Barnes and George Boyd certainly possess the quality to be able to make their opportunities count.

 

Pick #4 (1 PT STAKE)  

FA Cup ACCUMULATOR

1.) Derby -1 HANDICAP @ 1.440

2.) Bournemouth WIN @ 2.000

3.) Birmingham -1 HANDICAP @ 1.800

4.) Aston Villa WIN @ 1.400

Pays 7.258 with Bet365

 

If you're following the bets this week get involved on Twitter over at @FLWTipster for the latest news, analysis and bets for all of the Championship, League One & League Two games alongside selections in the domestic cup competitions.