Top of the Props: Donyell the danger, Grealish to find his level & reliable Sky Blues

Over 2.5 Donyell Malen shots for Aston Villa vs Cardiff – 19/20 – BetMGM

The FA Cup often represents an opportunity for squad players to stake a claim for a starting berth. Aston Villa’s injury issues should mean that Donyell Malen will start and play a significant role against Cardiff on Friday.

The Dutchman has averaged 3.75 shots per 90 in his limited minutes for Villa since joining in January, and prior to that was having 2.8 shots per 90 for Borussia Dortmund. So he certainly can’t be considered shot-shy. 

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Opponents Cardiff sit just six points clear of the Championship drop zone and are giving up 11.9 shots per game this season. 

On the road, that average jumps to 13.84 and with Villa expected to be dominant here. A Villans win also predicted in our comprehensive FA Cup fifth round betting tips. Malen can shoot on sight in an attempt to impress Unai Emery and force his way into the starting line-up. 

Jack Grealish to score or assist for Man City vs Plymouth – 19/20 – BetMGM

The weight of a £100m price tag appears to be weighing heavily on Jack Grealish as he’s enduring a season which has seen him on the scoresheet just twice in all competitions. 

However, it cannot be doubted that he is more than capable of lighting up games and contributing goals when he’s ‘at it’.

In the previous two rounds of the FA Cup, Grealish got a goal and three assists, landing this specific bet in both matches. His display against Leyton Orient in particular looked much more like the player City paid so much for. 

Whilst Plymouth provided the shock of the previous round in beating Liverpool, their attention is likely to be elsewhere with them sitting in the Championship drop zone, three points from safety. 

They’ve conceded two goals a game in that division, and so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Guardiola’s men rack up a big scoreline. Grealish should be expected to contribute if they are to do so. 

Over 3.5 offsides in Oxford vs Coventry – 10/13 – BetMGM

Having mentioned offsides in Coventry games under Frank Lampard in this column last week and that bet comfortably winning, it would be rude not to continue attacking the generous prices on offer this weekend. 

Since Lampard’s arrival, Coventry games have averaged 5.63 offsides, with four or more landing in 16 of his last 17 matches in charge. 

Two of their most recent four trips on the road have seen a massive nine offside offences, so the line being set at just four feels like a gift in this fixture.

Oxford have also changed their manager in recent months, and the last nine matches at the Kassam Stadium have seen an average of 3.89 offsides. 

Four of those games have seen four or more offsides. But with Coventry’s high line added to the U’s average of two offsides drawn per game across this sample, this could be a game where the assistant referees are very busy.

Odds correct at the time of writing.