Blackburn vs Newcastle Prediction and Betting Tips: Back the visitors in FA Cup fifth round clash

Blackburn Rovers take on Newcastle United in a FA Cup fifth round tie that can be seen live on BBC1 on Tuesday evening. The action gets underway at 7:45pm and we’ve got Anthony Eadson on hand to provide us with his best bets.  

Blackburn have lifted the FA Cup on six occasions, securing the prestigious trophy in 1884, 1885, 1886, 1890, 1891, and 1928. Additionally, Rovers made appearances in the final in 1882 and 1960. Although this season's competition may not be their top priority with Championship safety yet to be secured, the East Lancashire side have defeated Cambridge United 5-2 in the third round and secured a 4-1 victory against Wrexham in the fourth round. With five goals across those two matches, Sammie Szmodics is the top scorer in the competition this season and also leads the Championship goalscoring charts with 18 strikes.  

Newcastle have also won the FA Cup six times in their history. Those triumphant years are 1910, 1924, 1932, 1951, 1952 and 1955. The last time they featured in a final was in 1999 against Manchester United, with this tie against Blackburn also having a bit of throw-back to the nineties feel about it. The Magpies have seen off Sunderland and Fulham so far in the competition and can be backed at 2/7 to advance to the quarter-finals. Blackburn reached the last eight of the FA Cup last year and can be backed at 11/4 to cause an upset on Tuesday. 

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• Blackburn will be without Joe Rankin-Costello, Hayden Carter, John Fleck and Ryan Hedges on Tuesday. Sam Gallagher and Sammie Szmodics should start in attack for the hosts. 
• Newcastle will be without Matt Targett, Callum Wilson, Joelinton and Nick Pope. Eddie Howe is expected to make some changes with Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes and Joe Willock expected to be named in the starting XI. 

After his side took a 4-1 thumping at Arsenal on Saturday, Eddie Howe told his players that they are playing for their future, describing their showing at The Emirates ‘as a performance in which every aspect of our game was off.”  

The FA Cup is Newcastle’s best chance of silverware this season and has added importance due to their sub-par showing in the league. Off the back of these comments and the context of the competition for Newcastle this season, I expect Eddie Howe to name a strong side for the visit to Ewood Park and wouldn’t put anyone off the price that is available for the win in 90 minutes. 

The angle I prefer however is for the visitors to win the game with under 4.5 goals being scored at 11/10 with Midnite. Blackburn’s league form over the last few months has been woeful with just one win in their last their last 13 second tier matches (W1 D5 L7). New manager John Eustace is yet to get a real tune out of his new squad and is winless in his last four matches (D3 L1). Newcastle’s Premier League quality could be the difference here against a Rovers side that sit just four points above the Championship relegation zone. 

At 4/1, again with Midnite, I’ve taken a punt on Joe Willock to find the net anytime in the match. It’s been an injury-riddled campaign so far for the former Arsenal man picking up a hamstring issue in August, before an achilles tendon problem in November.  

Willock made his return to football in the best possible way by coming off the bench and scoring against Arsenal in an 18-minute cameo on Saturday, despite the goal being a consolation in a 4-1 defeat. A trip to lower league opposition provides the perfect opportunity to make his first start of the calendar year and after a goal against Manchester United in his only EFL Cup appearance back in the Autumn, I fancy him to find the net in a game Newcastle should dominate and rack up the attempts.