The semi finals of the 2024/25 FA Cup play out at Wembley across the weekend starting with Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa at tea time on Saturday followed by Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
Both our best bets for the last four ties come in the total goals markets where the near certainty of plenty in Villa vs Palace looks underpriced and inconsistent Forest could blank against City.
FA Cup semi finals best bets
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa – Over 3.5 goals @ 12/5
Under 0.5 Nottm Forest goals vs Manchester City @ 7/5
Bet on the latest English football odds at Betzone
Goals guaranteed to be on the agenda for Villa-Palace clash
Crystal Palace and Aston Villa have already faced off three times this season, with the games producing progressively more goals. Palace pulled off a 2-1 away EFL Cup win in October, drew 2-2 at Villa Park in the league a month later and ran riot in a 4-1 February Selhurst Park win.
Over 2.5 goals looks a very decent wager at 20/21 on that evidence but the sides’ recent form, particularly Villa’s, provides some confidence to shoot for the 12/5 about over 3.5 being bagged.
Unai Emery’s men have won 10 of their 12 games across all competitions since that Selhurst shellacking, banging in three goals or more in eight of their last 10 outings.
Palace, meanwhile, may have been showing signs of wandering minds when conceding five goals twice in consecutive games away to Newcastle and Man City. However, we know they’re also capable of punishing Villa on this season’s evidence.
Tip: Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa – Over 3.5 goals @ 12/5
City shutout a value possibility given Forest scoring struggles
Nottingham Forest meet Manchester City at an interesting juncture with the sides’ momentum potentially pointing them in opposite directions.
City are now one point ahead of Forest on the back of a run of five wins and a draw in their last six outings across all competitions, whereas the Nottingham outfit have slipped down to fourth after consecutive losses prior to their 2-1 away win at Tottenham on Monday night.
Struggles in front of goal have been central to Forest’s recent struggles with Nuno Espirito Santo’s men scoring once or not at all in seven of their last nine games across all competitions.
In this context the 7/5 about City shutting them out is worth consideration. Forest only got the one in their narrow win over Pep Guardiola’s side back in March and the reigning champions of England have now kept three clean sheets in their last four games.
