Round Four of the English FA Cup continues, as Premier League risers Fulham will visit the up-and-comers Sunderland from the Championship. Check out our FA Cup odds series, starring our Sunderland-Fulham prediction and pick.
Following a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage, the two squads will meet for a replay at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night. Fulham is currently eighth in the Prem table, ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool and inching closely to Brighton and Brentford.
The Championship side led for much of the first meeting, but Fulham's Tom Cairney delivered a late equalizer to force a replay on Sunderland's home soil. Sunderland is ninth in the Championship table, just a few points behind Watford, West Brom, Blackburn, and Millwall.
Here are the Sunderland-Fulham soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
FA Cup Odds: Sunderland-Fulham Odds
Sunderland: +380
Fulham: -150
Draw: +280
Over 2.5 Goals: -134
Under 2.5 Goals: -104
How to Watch Sunderland vs. Fulham
TV: N/A
Stream: fuboTV, ESPN+
Time: 10 AM ET / 7 AM PT
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Why Sunderland Can Beat Fulham
Losing just one of their last nine fixtures in all competitions, Sunderland has every reason to be cheerful, with the hosts still in contention for a playoff spot in the Championship. While placing ninth in the division, two points short of the final play-off place, the Black Cats are only six points behind from local rivals Middlesbrough, currently third in the division. They have 42 points from 29 matches played, 11 resulting in wins while nine ended in deadlocks. They still have a lot of catching up to first-placers Burnley and second-ranked Sheffield United, who have 65 and 58 points already.
Still, at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland remains an inconsistent squad, having claimed only four wins in the last 10 games held in front of the Mackems. Tony Mowbray's squad were involved in another 1-1 stalemate against Millwall in the EFL Championship, where Dennis Cirkin squeaked an 81st-minute equalizer to give the Black Cats one point.
Sunderland have managed 42 goals in 29 games in the Championship this season. Ross Stewart leads the team with 10 goals while Ellis Simms and Amad Diallo both contributed seven each. In their first face-off with Fulham, Jack Clarke put the Black Cats up front in just six minutes at the Craven Cottage while also creating plenty of chances against their Premier League opponents, recording six shots on target.
Corry Evans and Ross Stewart will not see time on the pitch while Lynden Gooch and Elliot Embleton remain long-term absentees. Leeds loanee Joe Gelhardt is primed as Stewart's replacement, while Isaac Lihadji and Pierre Ekwah are hopeful to appear for the club after their stints in Lille and West Ham, respectively.
Why Fulham Can Beat Sunderland
Marco Silva's men continue their stellar rise in the English Premier League, and while they have a lot of catching up to do to overtake Prem leaders Arsenal, they are hoping to grab the silverware here in the FA Cup. The Cottagers have 32 points after 9 victories, 5 draws, and 8 losses and are currently placed 8th in the Prem. However, they have gone a little out of sync lately after securing zero wins in their last four matches in all competitions. Fulham had won each of their previous five games before acquiring defeats against Newcastle United and Tottenham, followed by draws with their opponents here and against Chelsea.
In the FA Cup’s last round, Fulham faced Hull City, who they easily defeated 2-0. Daniel James and Layvin Kurzawa appeared in the scoreboard for the Cottagers. In addition, each of Fulham's first six away PL games this season saw over 2.5 goals scored, however, none of their last four have seen that outcome. With Sunderland proving less than formidable on home soil, the Londoners are primed to qualify from this tie.
Fulham's injury report lists Neeskens Kebano as a long-term absentee after suffering a ruptured Achilles. With a strong showing made by their opponents, the Portuguese manager is expected to put a stronger starting XI in the pitch, as the Cottagers failed to put an end to the Black Cats' run in the Craven Cottage. Second-choice goalkeeper Marek Rodak will take over the duties between the sticks over Bernd Leno, while key striker Aleksandar Mitrovic could lead Fulham's attack after being named on the bench in the previous meeting. Carlos Vinicius, another forward for Fulham, appears to make a strong showing if he is able to link up well with Mitrovic on the pitch.
Final Sunderland-Fulham Prediction & Pick
Sunderland have the crowd roaring in support for them, but Fulham have a better squad. Expect Marco Silva's squad to make up for last weekend's mistakes by showing a more clinical display in this match.
Final Sunderland-Fulham Prediction & Pick: Fulham (-150)
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