Accrington v Derby: Rams big price to enjoy more cup success

Accrington Stanley 4.40 v Derby County 1.88; The Draw 3.60
Saturday 26 January, 12:30
Live on BT Sport 2

Accrington on cup run, but league form a concern

Accrington have already knocked a Championship side out of the FA Cup this season and are now looking to add a second scalp to their list when they host Derby.

Their opponents will make for much tougher opposition than the Ipswich side that they eliminated in the third round, with the East Anglian club seemingly set to join Accrington in League One next season. That is assuming that Accrington avoid relegation themselves - a poor run of form in recent weeks has left them in a somewhat precarious position.

Only five points separates John Coleman's team from the bottom four, with Accrington having won only two of their last 13 games (D3 L8). Often a manager finds himself under pressure in such a situation, but that should not be the case for Coleman, who has masterminded four promotions over two spells as Accrington manager, with the most recent coming last season when they were champions of League Two.

Some more good news for Coleman comes in the shape of the team news. He has a fully fit squad available for the televised cup tie.

Derby combining cup success with promotion push

Derby County have earned a reputation as cup giant killers this season, but must now cope with the pressure of being expected to progress.

Their cup exploits suggest that they will be able to handle the heat. Frank Lampard's side have enjoyed away wins against Manchester United in the EFL Cup and Southampton in the FA Cup third round, with both victories coming in tense penalty shootouts.

Derby suffered from some erratic form in recent weeks, but that was true of most Championship clubs during the busy festive period. With the schedule having now eased, Lampard's squad have the talent to book a spot in this season's play-offs, with their weekend win over Reading keeping them in sixth place.

All eyes will be on the Derby team-sheet to see if this match marks the debut for the former England left-back Ashley Cole, who was signed on a free transfer on Monday. Now 38, Cole's last competitive game came back in October of last year, when he played his last match for LA Galaxy against Houston Dynamo.

Great price for an away win

Derby are the 1.88 favourites, with the draw at 3.60 and Accrington at 4.40.

That's a pretty chunky price for a Derby win when you consider that they are not only in a higher division to Accrington, but also in much better form. With Accrington having failed to score in four of their last six games, Derby to win to nil is another option at 3.25.

Liverpool lad can steal headlines again

With Derby's strikers not having been particularly prolific this season, the team's most likely scorer in available at a bargain price to find the net.

Harry Wilson has 12 goals in 26 games for Derby, since joining on loan from Liverpool in the summer. The Welsh international has played in central midfield and on the wing for the Rams, from where he has outscored all of Derby's strikers.

With three goals in Derby's last five games and strikes against Manchester United and Southampton in cup competitions, Wilson looks a big price at 3.40 to score and once again impress on the big occasion.

RECOMMENDED BETS

Back Derby to beat Accrington at 1.88

Back Wilson to score at 3.40