Newcastle United need a distraction from their troubling league form as they travel to Blackburn Rovers for an FA Cup fifth round clash. The Magpies seem to do better on their travels and should have the upper hand over Blackburn, who have also found it difficult in recent weeks.
Blackburn Rovers have only faced lower League opposition on their journey to the fifth round of the FA Cup. They claimed a 5-2 victory over League One side Cambridge United before easing past League Two outfit Wrexham 4-1 last time.
Tuesday’s clash will represent Blackburn Rovers’ first real test in the competition, and they have been far from their best ahead of the visit of Newcastle United. They are winless in their last four matches, although three of those fixtures have been draws, including a 1-1 scoreline in a Championship fixture with Norwich City last weekend.
Things are also not as smooth at home for Blackburn Rovers, who have picked up just three wins from their last eight matches at Ewood Park. The major problem is a lack of discipline at the back as John Eustace’s men are without a clean sheet in their last 13 home matches across all competitions.
The FA Cup could be a welcome distraction for Newcastle United, who have been a bit erratic in recent weeks. They have picked up just two wins from their last five matches across all competitions and were hammered 4-1 by Arsenal in a Premier League fixture last Saturday.
While Newcastle United have struggled with inconsistency in the Premier League, it has mostly been a cruise so far in the FA Cup. They claimed a 3-0 victory at Sunderland before winning 2-0 at Fulham to secure a fifth round berth.
Newcastle United also appear to fare better on their travels with their FA Cup wins coming on the road. Eddie Howe’s men travel to Ewood Park with four wins from their last five away matches across all competitions.
How the bookies view it
Newcastle United have been installed as overwhelming favourites and are priced at 11/20 by Unibet to claim the win. Blackburn Rovers are considered outsiders among the bookies with a home win valued at 19/4 with Coral while a draw is set at odds of 4/1 by bet365.
Head to head
Newcastle United have a 44-41 advantage with 20 draws from 105 previous matches with Blackburn Rovers. The Magpies have also won the last two meetings, the most recent of which was a 1-0 League Cup victory at Ewood Park back in 2020.
Players to watch
The one shining light in a hugely erratic campaign for Blackburn Rovers is Sammie Szmodics, who has five FA Cup goals this season. Having also found the net eight times in his last 10 matches across all competitions, the attacker could be worth keeping an eye on at 5/2 with bet365.
Newcastle United will be pleased to have top scorer Alexander Isak back from injury and the striker could be given another run-out as he works his way to full fitness. He has two FA Cup goals this season and is priced at evens with Paddy Power to score anytime on Tuesday.
Anything else catch the eye?
There is plenty of attacking quality on display and both teams could be backed to score at 8/15 with William Hill. Newcastle United saw over 4.5 goals last weekend and a repeat is priced at 13/5 with Paddy Power, who is also offering 11/10 for over 3.5 goals.
Newcastle United have scored in both halves in their last two FA Cup fixtures and a repeat is priced at 21/20 with William Hill. The Magpies are likely to concede on Tuesday, so a win and both teams to score could be considered at 8/5 with bet365.
This FA Cup match between Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United will be played on Feb 27, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Blackburn Rovers vs Newcastle United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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