Weekend betting column: What odds are PNE to beat Doncaster on Sunday?

New Year, new Preston? The club have unveiled three new signings this week. On Sunday, the Lilywhites are 8/11 favourites with 32Red, 
the visitors 7/2 and 5/2 to earn a replay.

Paul Gallagher was unlucky not to score in North End’s 2-1 defeat at Rotherham on New Year’s Day, but can make amends in the FA Cup and is 4/1 to score anytime in a North End win tomorrow.

PNE Specials;

Paul Gallagher to Score in a Preston win – 4/1

Preston to Win and Both Teams to Score – 3/1

Preston to Win Both Halves – 5/1

The first week of January invariably means several things; broken resolutions, health kicks and the third round of the FA Cup.

The magic of the cup descends once again with Arsenal’s trip to Blackpool the undoubted highlight of this weekend’s fixtures. Plenty has gone awry since Blackpool’s relegation from the top-flight several years ago.

However, this could prove the shot in the arm they need in order to begin their ascent back to English football’s top table; Arsenal 1/4, Blackpool 10/1 and the draw 9/2.

Nottingham Forest will fancy their chances of causing an upset when heading to Stamford Bridge and, after being knocked out by Bradford on home soil in 2015, Forest are 16/1 to beat Chelsea, the hosts 1/4 and 9/2 for Forest to earn a replay.

Both Liverpool and Manchester City are likely to have much changed starting XI’s from the sides that saw City win 2-1 on Thursday.

The Reds travel to Molineux on Monday night and look short enough at their current price of 5/6 to smoothly advance into the fourth round. Wolves 3are /1 to cause an upset and 11/4 to earn a replay at Anfield.

City meanwhile, the 5/1 favourites to be lifting the FA Cup aloft at Wembley in May, have the much more straightforward task of hosting Rotherham on home soil tomorrow and are prohibitively short to brush aside the Millers with the minimum of fuss on home soil – City 1/20, Rotherham 33/1 and the draw 12/1.

FA Cup Outright prices from 32Red:

Manchester City 5/1

Manchester United 13/2

Chelsea 7/1

Liverpool 8/1

Tottenham 10/1

Arsenal 10/1

Everton 16/1

Leicester 20/1

33/1 Bar

There’s a cracking day of racing at Sandown with the Unibet Tolworth Hurdle the highlight of the seven-race card and previous Cheltenham scorer Elixir de Nutz (2.25) a confident selection to give trainer Colin Tizzard yet further success in the G1 contest.

The yard won the corresponding race in 2016 with Finians Oscar and have another useful recruit with the French recruit, who beat subsequent listed winner Jarveys Plate in impressive fashion last month in the Cotswolds. He should take this en-route to further Cheltenham success and is currently 20/1 for the curtain-raiser at the Cheltenham Festival, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in March.

The feature handicap chase is the Unibet Veterans’ Chase where Tenor Nivernais (3.00) chanced to come good for the in-form yard of Venetia Williams.

The now 12 year old has fallen to his lowest mark for over three years and, back going his preferred right-handed, has to go well under the excellent Aidan Coleman.