FA Cup 2026/27: Big guns fancied to dominate, but Leeds could be dangerous

The FA Cup is renowned for producing shocks. However, when it comes to lifting the prestigious trophy, big clubs generally dominate the landscape.

Since the turn of the century, just four clubs outside the Premier League’s so-called ‘Big Six’ teams have won the FA Cup.

With that in mind, read on as we look at the latest outright betting for this season’s competition, before assessing whether there could a surprise outcome next May.

FA Cup 2026/27 – Outright betting

• Arsenal – 9/2
• Manchester City – 5/1
• Liverpool – 13/2
• Manchester Utd – 7/1
• Chelsea – 9/1
• Tottenham Hotspur – 12/1
• Aston Villa – 14/1
• Newcastle United – 20/1
• Brighton & Hove Albion – 25/1
• Brentford – 25/1
• Bournemouth – 33/1
• Everton – 33/1
• Crystal Palace – 40/1
• Fulham – 40/1
• Leeds United – 40/1
• Nottingham Forest – 40/1
• Sunderland – 66/1
• Coventry City – 80/1
• Ipswich Town – 80/1
• Burnley – 100/1
• Hull City – 100/1
• West Ham United – 100/1
• Wolverhampton Wanderers – 100/1
• Birmingham City – 150/1
• Middlesbrough – 150/1
• Norwich City – 150/1
• Sheffield United – 150/1
• Southampton – 150/1
• Wrexham – 150/1
• Bristol City – 200/1
• Derby County – 200/1
• Millwall – 200/1
• Stoke City – 200/1
• West Bromwich Albion – 200/1
• Blackburn Rovers – 250/1
• Charlton Athletic – 250/1
• Bolton Wanderers- 250/1
• Cardiff City – 250/1
• Portsmouth – 250/1
• Preston North End – 250/1
• Queens Park Rangers – 250/1
• Swansea City – 250/1
• Watford – 250/1
• Wigan Athletic – 250/1
• Lincoln City – 250/1
• Bar – 1000/1

FA Cup 2026/27 – Preview

Sports bettors will likely focus on the teams towards the top of the FA Cup market, and recent history shows that strategy is a sensible one.

However, as players of games such as blackjack and roulette at the Lucky Hill casino can testify, surprise results are undoubtedly feasible in the FA Cup. Lucky Hill offers a broad selection of casino games, including classic table games such as blackjack and roulette, giving players plenty of choice alongside the unpredictable nature of football’s most famous cup competition.

That point is hammered home even further when taking a deeper dive into FA Cup statistics, which offer hope to ‘smaller’ clubs.

Porstmouth (2007/08), Wigan Athletic (2012/13), Leicester City (2020/21) and Crystal Palace (2024/25) have defied the odds to lift the trophy this century.

Another 11 finalists have been clubs who sit outside the ‘Big Six’ group, highlighting that the competition is not a closed shop.

When considering which team will win the FA Cup this season, focusing on the first five teams in the betting appears to be a sensible approach.

For fans searching for better value, last season’s semi-finalists Leeds United hold plenty of appeal at odds of 40/1 to win the FA Cup.

The Whites have not won a major trophy since claiming the First Division title in 1991/92. Their only FA Cup success was 20 years earlier.

Despite this, the club is on an upward trajectory. They comfortably avoided relegation on their return to the Premier League and are fancied to kick on this term.

Manager Daniel Farke has been backed in the transfer market this summer and the club are expected to strengthen further before the deadline.

The acquisitions of James Trafford and Tarik Muharemovic have bolstered their defensive options, while Harry Wilson is a shrewd attacking signing on a free transfer.

If striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin can stay fit, Leeds could be an extremely tough nut to crack in this season’s FA Cup.

Each-way terms of half the odds to progress to the final are a tempting proposition, while markets such as ‘reach the semi-finals’ are worth considering when the prices are published.

Chelsea’s lack of European participation could work in their favour in the FA Cup, and they could be worth backing to meet Leeds in the final.

FA Cup 2026/27: Big guns fancied to dominate, but Leeds could be dangerous