Will the Blades pull off the surprise?

16 teams are still involved in the round of 16 of the FA Cup. Among them are numerous clubs from the lower divisions. Four second division clubs, two third division clubs and one fourth division club still have hopes of reaching the grand final at Wembley Stadium. One of those seven lower-tier clubs is Sheffield United, but they will be up against a big-calibre side on Wednesday night.

The promotion contenders from the Steel City will be up against the current fourth-placed Premier League side. Nevertheless, betting on an away win after normal time between Sheffield United and Tottenham entails a certain risk. It is clear that the home side have nothing to lose and have rarely lost out at home to Bramall Lane this season.

With regard to the Sheffield United vs. Tottenham prediction, it must also be taken into account that the Londoners have recently put in extremely inconsistent performances away from home at both national and international level.

As Spurs have two important Premier League and Champions League matches coming up this weekend and next week, it remains to be seen how important the FA Cup is for coach Antonio Conte’s team. We are therefore a little more defensive with our tips and primarily assume that few goals will be scored in the 90 minutes.

Sheffield United – Statistics & current form

Sheffield United are on a really good way to manage their return to the English top flight. Second in the table, they are currently seven points clear of the first non-promotion place. Moreover, the Blades still have a game in hand and could even extend their lead to ten points.

After eight wins from ten Championship games in the period from mid-November to mid-February, the Red and Whites have suffered two unexpected lapses in the last three league matches. However, following defeats to Middlesbrough and Millwall, Paul Heckingbottom’s side returned to winning ways last weekend with a narrow 1-0 victory at home to Watford.

Sheffield face a return to the Premier League

Generally, the home strength of the club that missed out on direct promotion back to the Premier League in last year’s play-offs must be highlighted once again. Eleven of the 17 home games played were victorious. Three draws and three defeats round off the very respectable record. Four of the last six victories in their own stadium were achieved with a clean sheet.

In view of these impressive figures and the high level of self-confidence after a good season so far in 22/23, the second division team must also be confident of a surprise at home against inconsistent Spurs. In any case, we are deliberately avoiding the odds between Sheffield United and Tottenham in the direction of an away win after regular time, especially as these tend not to bring any value with a 1.80 at the top.

The fact that the Blades can certainly be described as a cup team also becomes clear when looking at the last few years. For the fourth time in the past six years, the Red and Whites have reached the last 16 of the FA Cup. In 2019/20 and 2020/21, they even went all the way to the quarter-finals. Both times, however, no Premier League club had to be eliminated in the last 16. The most recent five encounters against first division clubs, however, were all lost at this stage of the competition.

Predicted line-up of Sheffield United:
Davies; Basham, Egan, Robinson; Bogle, Berge, Norwood, Fleck, Lowe; Ndiaye, McBurnie

Last matches played by Sheffield United:

Championship
25/02/2023 – Sheffield United 1 – 0 Watford

18/02/2023 – Millwall 3 – 2 Sheffield United

16/02/2023 – Sheffield United 1 – 3 Middlesboro

11/02/2023 – Sheffield United 3 – 0 Swansea

FA Cup
08/02/2023 – Sheffield United 3 – 1 Wrexham

Tottenham – Statistics & current form

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club are still on three highs. In the UEFA Champions League, the important round of 16 second leg against Milan is on the agenda next week. After the 1-0 defeat at the San Siro, the Lily Whites still have every chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

In the Premier League, meanwhile, Spurs have improved to fourth place after recent good results, putting them in a promising position in the race for Champions League tickets next season. Only last Sunday, city rivals Chelsea were defeated 2-0.

Can Spurs build on their recent good performances?

It was already the fourth treble from the last five league games. In all four of these victories, coach Antonio Conte’s team, which continues to be without regular keeper Hugo Lloris, has kept its clean sheet. At the same time, the bet on the under 2.5 would also have gone through in all four of the aforementioned encounters, which is why we are in good spirits that the odds on a low-scoring round of 16 match between Sheffield and Tottenham on Wednesday evening will also pay off.

The eight-time FA Cup triumphants (last 1991) have had no problems on their way to the last 16 so far. Portsmouth (1-0) and Preston North End (3-0) were both beaten without conceding a goal. However, caution should be exercised, as Spurs have failed to reach the fifth round in each of the last three years. Last year, they also lost to an outsider from the Championship. Conte’s team lost 0:1 after extra time against Middlesbrough.

Speaking of Conte, the Italian coach is still at home recovering from gall bladder surgery. His assistant Christian Stellini, however, has been reliable lately. Spurs have won all their matches under his leadership. According to media reports, however, the boss could return from his unwanted break this week. Conte is still questionable for the match at Sheffield United, however. It will also be exciting to see how much the personnel rotation will turn out.

Predicted Tottenham line-up:
Forster; Tanganga, Sanchez, Lenglet; Porro, Skipp, Hojbjerg, Perisic; Danjuma, Son; Kane

Last matches played by Tottenham:

Premier League
26/02/2023 – Tottenham 2 – 0 Chelsea FC

19/02/2023 – Tottenham 2 – 0 West Ham

Champions League Final
15/02/2023 – AC Milan 1 – 0 Tottenham

Premier League
11/02/2023 – Leicester 4 – 1 Tottenham

05/02/2023 – Tottenham 1 – 0 Manchester City

Sheffield United – Tottenham Direct comparison / H2H record

Sheffield United last featured in the Premier League in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons. Of the four competitive matches played at the highest national level, Tottenham won two. There has also been one Sheffield win and one draw.

The last of a total of four direct duels in the FA Cup, however, is almost 70 years in the past and therefore has no relevance for the upcoming do-or-die match. The head-to-head record can be safely disregarded with regard to the Sheffield United vs Tottenham prediction.

Sheffield United – Tottenham prediction

For Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, it’s been one hit after another these days and weeks. Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. The demands are high. Priority is certainly given to the first two competitions, which is why we are ultimately also cautious about playing the betting odds on the away win between Sheffield United and Tottenham.

The home side can definitely be expected to put in a good performance, especially as they have been playing a strong second division season so far, are second in the table and seven points clear of a return to the top flight, and have also won the majority of their matches in front of a home crowd. Apart from that, the Blades have reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in two of the last three years. Both times, however, the Red and Whites were lucky to win the draw.

With Spurs, of course, a completely different calibre awaits, who have recently been able to boost their self-confidence, winning four of the last five league games and even going without conceding a goal in all four victories. So we don’t really believe in a defeat after 90 minutes.

We have therefore decided to bet on the X2 in combination with the Under 3.5 between Sheffield United and Tottenham