Dale underdogs in Carlisle cup clash
AS Rochdale were on the receiving end of a 3-0 thrashing at Gillingham last weekend, Saturday’s FA Cup opponents Carlisle were warming up for their cup assignment with an impressive 5-2 victory over Mansfield that kept them at League Two’s congested summit.
The match stats team at bettingexpert.com tell us that Saturday’s encounter will be the pair’s first in the FA Cup since they met in November 1959, a tie Rochdale won 3-1 following a 2-2 draw at Spotland; there’s every likelihood that the weekend’s contest will be equally close.
Though they occupy a berth in a division higher than their hosts, Rochdale travel north priced as Paddy Power’s 2/1 underdogs to overhaul a side that has lost only once all season.
Keith Curle’s Carlisle, meanwhile, kick off as BetVictor’s understandable 6/4 favourites and Skybet post 12/5 about the stalemate.
Backers expecting Rochdale to have a little too much quality for their hosts can get 7/4 (888sport) against them being in front at the break, while Bwin quotes them at 4/5 to open the scoring.
Punters anticipating a close-run affair may fancy the look of Ladbrokes’ 3/1 odds for Rochdale to enjoy a one goal margin of victory, or perhaps Marathonbet’s appealing 9/2 marked in favour of them emerging victorious following a drawn opening half.
Few expect a festival of goals, a widely-held opinion which adds to the appeal of bet365’s 8/1 posted against a 1-0 away win, and of the 11/1 Matchbook.com chalk against a 2-0 Rochdale victory.
Odds supplied by www. smartbets.com, the customisable odds