Sheffield Wednesday vs. Newcastle Betting Tips: Two picks for FA Cup tie at Hillsborough

Newcastle and Sheffield Wednesday take a brief break from their respective league title charges on Saturday when they lock horns in the third round of the FA Cup at Hillsborough, in a match that can be viewed live on BBC 1 at 6pm.

Here at BettingOdds, we've previewed the intriguing cup clash between the in-form teams and picked out two tips.

Newcastle fans will need no reminding that it's now been 54 years since the club last won a cup competition - the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup - while the last of their six FA Cup successes dates all the way back to 1955.

Yet, there's a real feeling that the club can end this lengthy cup drought this season. That's because Newcastle have been absolutely superb under the tutorship of their excellent coach Eddie Howe, who has lost only once in 21 league and cup matches this term, a superb record that has not only thrust Newcastle into the title mix but through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

Unbeaten in 15 matches stretching back to August, The Toon now travel down to Yorkshire as the 1/2 favourites to pick up an FA Cup third round win in 90 minutes.

Opponents Sheffield Wednesday have carved out their own unbeaten run of 13 matches, while they are undefeated in their previous 11 matches on home soil, nine of which have been wins. The Owls have also enjoyed a cracking campaign so far, sitting 2nd in League One and hot on the heels of leaders Plymouth.

The hosts are available at 6/1 to upset their Premier league opponents, whereas a draw can be backed at 7/2.

Both teams' title pursuits have been built off the back of strong defences.

Newcastle's record of 11 goals conceded in 18 Premier League matches is a league-low, and they've kept 10 clean sheets in the process. They've prevented the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Man Utd from scoring this season and haven't conceded a single goal in their last six games in all competitions since thrashing Saints 4-1 in early November.

Only Derby (17) have conceded fewer League One goals than Sheffield Wednesday whose solid backline has only been breached 18 times in 25 matches. The Owls have kept six clean sheets in their last nine league and cup matches, conceding just three goals in that timeframe.

As a result, I'm not expecting a flurry of goals on Saturday, which makes Under 2.5 Goals stand-out at 23/20 with Betfair.

If there does happen to be a goal or two at Hillsborough, I'm expecting Chris Wood to be right in the mix.

Eddie Howe will be expected to give a few of his players a little breather given that they face Leicester City on Tuesday in the last-8 of the League Cup, then Fulham in the league next weekend.

Wood should be one of the players in with a decent shout of making the starting-11. He's not exactly set the season alight when it comes to goals, but when called upon he's done a solid job: bagging the opener in the 3-0 win at Leicester City on Boxing Day and Newcastle's second in the 4-1 win at Southampton just before the World Cup break.

He's a best-priced 6/4 to find the back of the net against Sheffield Wednesday, which paired with a Newcastle win rises this bet up to a decent-looking 2/1 with bet365.