Bournemouth vs Swansea betting tips & FA Cup predictions

Bournemouth vs Swansea predictions

An improving Bournemouth side were handed a harsh lesson by Liverpool at the weekend but can pick themselves up and go again when hosting Swansea City in the FA Cup fourth round on Thursday (7.45pm, BBC iPlayer & S4C).

A second half barrage saw Liverpool leave the Vitality Stadium with a 4-0 win, condemning the Cherries to a second straight defeat in the Premier League.

The scoreline flattered the league leaders though with Bournemouth more than holding their own in the first half and while boss Andoni Iraola and his young team still have plenty to learn, they rank as an interesting contender in a knockout tournament, such as the FA Cup. 

The south coast side are 33/1 to win their first-ever piece of major silverware with football betting sites ahead of a fourth round tie with Championship side Swansea.

The Swans are under new management with Luke Williams having taken charge at the start of January. His only victory since his move to south Wales came in the third round of the FA Cup when his new charges beat Morecambe 2-0. 

There have been some encouraging signs in recent performances, despite a return of one point from their last two league games, and the trip to Bournemouth is a free hit for Swansea, who are 10/1 outsiders in the FA Cup odds to win the tie on gambling sites.

The Cherries may well be the side to end Swansea’s participation in another cup competition after dumping them out of the EFL Cup in August but they could put up a fight.

Swansea can make a game of it

Swansea come into this tie off the back of a defeat to another south coast side in Southampton, who ran out 3-1 winners at the Swansea.com Stadium last Saturday.

Despite having been outplayed by the Saints for chunks of that Championship encounter, Williams’ team finished the game strongly to give their opponents a scare.

For a team that sold their top striker, Joel Piroe, in the summer, they still possess some nice attacking options in the likes of Jamal Lowe, Jerry Yates, Jamie Paterson, and Yannick Bolasie.

Yates is Swansea’s top scorer with seven goals and is likely to be amongst those called into the team by Williams, alongside veterans Bolasie and Joe Allen, with all three having started on the bench against Southampton.

They bring experience and a discernible threat to a Swansea team that’s scored in 12 of its 14 away games in the Championship and bagged twice in the EFL Cup clash with Bournemouth earlier in the season. 

Swansea seemingly have no issue scoring and under the attack-minded Williams, that trend should continue. It’s defensively where they tend to let themselves down. 

They twice let a lead slip in a 2-2 draw at Birmingham City in Williams’ first league game before allowing Southampton to fire in 21 shots on goal last time out. Were the Championship table based on expected goals against, Swansea would find themselves in the bottom three.

Those are the kind of trends that don’t stack up well against a goal-hungry Bournemouth side that’s scored two or more in eight of their last 10 games and had bagged in 12 straight league matches before drawing a blank against Liverpool. 

Their run of scoring two or more includes a 3-2 win at QPR in the third round of the FA Cup when they came from behind to beat the R’s.

Iraola went with a relatively strong side at Loftus Road and may be forced to do something similar against Swansea with his options limited by injuries and international call ups.

The Cherries are particularly short at full-back right now and that may be partly to blame for them shipping nine goals across their last three games.

The potential for a cup tie filled with goals seems high, albeit Bournemouth’s superior quality should see them win the day with a home win and both teams to score an appealing option at 15/8 with bet365.

Bournemouth vs Swansea Tip 1: Bournemouth to win & both teams to score – 15/8 with bet365

Scott tough to contain

Alex Scott could be amongst the players who come into the Bournemouth side on Thursday night having started last Sunday’s game on the bench. 

The exciting 20-year-old has seen his first season at the Vitality Stadium blighted by injuries, but when he has been available, he’s got the Cherries’ fans off their seats.

Scott has recorded one goal and three assists in nine appearances and was man of the match in the last round of the FA Cup at QPR. 

Despite Iraola preferring to deploy him from deep, Scott seemingly has license to get forward and ranks highly amongst Bournemouth players for shot creating actions per 90 minutes, according to Fbref.

As well as being a creator, he’s not afraid to have a shot himself, registering an effort on goal in six of his nine games.

In a match that promises goals, Scott’s price on betting apps to record either a goal or assist in the fourth round tie stands out.

Bournemouth vs Swansea Tip 2: Alex Scott to score or assist at any time – 2/1 with Betway

Harry could be the Darling of shots bettors

Williams is still trying to put his stamp on Swansea but one talent who could pick up the new system quicker than others is Harry Darling, who previously worked with Williams at MK Dons.

Darling is well-suited to the style Williams wants to implement and the new manager seems content to let the 24-year-old continue rampaging forward from right-back. 

Since being switched out wide, Darling’s attacking statistics have shot up and he has now leapfrogged his team-mates by registering the most shots (43) of any Swansea player this season.

He’s currently on a run of five games in which he’s had an attempt at goal and he’s proven fairly accurate. Of Darling’s 43 attempts, 44.2 per cent have hit the target, according to Fbref.

Betting sites have caught up to his gung-ho ways, making him a short price to have an effort at goal, but the 5/2 on offer at bet365 for him to have at least one shot on target seems fair and gets the nod as our last Bournemouth vs Swansea prediction. 

Bournemouth vs Swansea Tip 3: Harry Darling over 0.5 shots on target – 5/2 with bet365

Get a free bet on the FA Cup fourth round

Thursday’s tie at the Vitality Stadium kicks-off the fourth round of the FA Cup and those looking to have a bet on this stage of the competition should check out these new betting sites before placing a wager.

Many bookmakers hand out free bets to new customers, including BetMGM, who are offering £40 in free bets as a welcome bonus. 

To receive the free bets, customers must open an account with BetMGM through this link and bet a minimum of £10 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater.

Once the wager is settled, BetMGM will credit your account with £40 in free bets. Customers who sign up with BetMGM can also take advantage of one of the best online casinos, if they enjoy that type of gambling. 

Remember to read the terms and conditions before signing up with any bookmaker and if you are betting on the FA Cup, or any other sport, please gamble responsibly.