FA Cup Betting Offers & Free Bets 2024

FA Cup Free Bets - How and Where to Get Them

All good football betting sites offer bettors free bets or bonuses for signing up with them, which you can use to bet on the FA Cup.

Some of the best betting sites offering FA Cup free bets in October 2024 are bet365, Bethard and BetVictor.

To claim a free bet, you’ll usually have to register for a site, make a deposit and place a bet, and once that is settled you’ll be credited with a free bet balance. SMS verification and proof of ID/address is also sometimes required when signing up.

Some sites will hand out free bets as special promotions when it comes to the big games such as the FA Cup semi-finals or final. These can come in the form of risk-free bets, which allow you to place a wager on a game without risking your own money, as you’ll either win the bet in the normal way or be refunded if the bet loses.

You will need to meet any qualifying requirements in order to withdraw funds associated with free bets. This usually means depositing a certain amount and placing your bet at minimum odds - within the timeframe the free bet is valid for. 

FA Cup Betting Offers

FA Cup betting offers come in plenty of different forms, with the following five being some of the most popular:

• Price Boosts: Also known as enhanced odds offers or odds boosts, bookies will often run these promotions around big FA Cup games. An example would be boosted odds on an in-form striker scoring first in an FA Cup match. These boosts can also apply to the 1x2 betting market for one team to win - as well as to the number of goals scored, or total cards handed out in a match.
• Free Bets: As previously covered, free bets are usually reserved for new customers signing up to a site for the first time. However, football betting sites like bet365 often award customers with free wagers for major FA Cup fixtures like the semi-finals and the final.
• Money-Back Specials: Bookies may offer to refund all stakes on an FA Cup match if a certain player scores in a game or if the heavy favourite wins, while bore draw insurance gives bettors their money back if a match ends goalless.
• Acca/Multi Boosts: When numerous FA Cup games are taking place on the same matchday, football multi bets are a popular choice for bettors. Betting sites might choose to add a bonus to your multi, with the increase usually depending on the number of winning selections you go for. Some bookies offer up to 70% extra.
• Early Payouts: Some bookmakers might hand out winnings to players earlier than usual if the team they back to win goes two goals ahead in an FA Cup game.

FA Cup Final Betting Offers  

Bookmakers put on a host of FA Cup final betting offers in the run-up to the showpiece event at Wembley every year. If a big-name striker is in a rich vein of form entering the decider, they may have their odds boosted to score first, or if one team is a big underdog they might have their odds to win enhanced.

When it comes to free bets for new sign-ups, you can usually place them on whatever FA Cup final betting market you like - but do check the qualifying requirements so you know where your bets stand.

FA Cup final odds will change as the game gets nearer with late-season fatigue and injuries sometimes having a big impact - especially if a team is battling for success on numerous fronts.

It may pay to wait until close to kick-off to to place your bets - and you can always count on in-play betting sites for live betting on the FA Cup final once the match starts.

FA Cup Betting Sites

The FA Cup betting sites listed on this page offer an extensive range of markets for gambling on this competition, as well as free bets for new bettors and betting offers.

When reviewing online bookies, our football betting experts examine established brands and new betting sites individually - leaving no stone unturned.

Some of the key factors we take into account are odds, bonuses, payment options, mobile experience and customer service.

• Bonuses & Offers: The best sites will get new bettors to sign up with bonuses and free bets, especially ahead of a big match like the FA Cup final. Existing customers also need a regular supply of promotions to keep them betting at a site, with Paddy Power one of the best in the business for great deals.
• Competitive Odds: This is a key requirement for strong betting sites, given how easy it is for bettors to compare odds with other bookies online. BetVictor always offers competitive odds, while Betfair is reliable for finding great odds on its exchange site.
• Customer Support: If you run into any issues betting at a site, you’ll want to be able to speak to a member of the customer service team and have any issues resolved quickly and painlessly. The best betting sites offer 24/7 live chat as well as email and phone support. They also provide responsible gambling mechanisms to help keep football betting fun.
• Payment Options: There are so many different ways for players to pay online, so bookies need to cater to this by accepting a wide array of payment methods. Check deposit and withdrawal options before you bet, but most sites will accept debit cards and e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller and EcoPayz.
• Mobile Experience: Given the number of bettors that now bet on mobile, bookies have to provide fully-optimised mobile sites or sports betting apps. Betting on-the-go has become standard practice, so bookmakers are at at the point where they must follow a mobile-first approach.

FA Cup Best Bets & Top Betting Markets

There are a large number of in-play, outright and multiple betting opportunities that the FA Cup presents from the start of the competition right up until the final every year.

Here are five of the best FA Cup betting markets for you to attack:

• Outright Winner: Picking the team who will lift the FA Cup in May at the start of the season is a tricky proposition, but history tells us that the trophy tends to end up with one of the top few teams. If you fancy an outsider, picking them early will give you the best odds.
• Name The Finalists: With the FA Cup final being such a showpiece event, picking the two teams who will make the final is a fun bet for bettors. This is a useful option when choosing smaller sides as it gives you a bit more insurance than the outright winner.
• Furthest Progressing Championship Team: Instead of backing a lower-league team to win the FA Cup or reach the final, you could select one to perform the best out of every team in their league. This can be done with Championship sides as well as those from League One or League Two.
• Winning Margin: If you fancy a top Premier League club to rout a non-league side, or a side down the pecking order at the bottom of the Football League, picking a hefty winning margin could provide solid odds.
• Multiple Bets: The early rounds of the FA Cup give bettors a great opportunity to place multis, as so many matches take place on the one day/weekend. You might go with a decent stake for a host of favourites to beat lower-league teams, or you could throw a small bet on a number of upsets.

How to Bet on The FA Cup

There are a number of steps to consider when betting on the FA Cup online. Remember that each site will have a slightly different layout, but all licensed, trusted sites are generally similar when it comes to the checks performed during the sign-up process.

Claiming and placing free bets is usually a similar process regardless of the site you're signing up to as well.

Below, we cover how to sign up to a betting site, how to claim FA Cup free bets and how to place your bets.

How to Sign up to an FA Cup Betting Site

1. Choose the betting site you want to bet with from the recommended bookies listed on this page and click 'visit site'.
2. Visit the betting site and click the 'Register' or 'Join' button.
3. Enter personal details such as name, email address, country of residence, date of birth and currency - then pick a username and password to create your account.
4. Upload proof of ID for verification purposes (this is a good sign, as it means the site takes your safety and privacy seriously).
5. Deposit funds into your account using your preferred and accepted payment method.
6. Now you are ready to place FA Cup bets on the site.

How to Claim FA Cup Free Bets

For new customers

1. Identify a welcome offer at a sports betting site you haven’t yet registered for an account with.
2. Read the qualifying requirements for the free bet so you know how to withdraw any winnings.
3. Sign up and create your account at the site.
4. Deposit funds to your account in order to activate the free bets or place a qualifying bet to unlock your free bet bonus.
5. Place the free bet on the FA Cup betting market of your choice by visiting the football betting section.

For existing customers

1. Visit a sports betting site you have already registered with and access your account.
2. Check your free bets balance by visiting your account section.
3. If you have free bets in your account, you can use them by selecting the FA Cup market of your choice and clicking 'use free bets balance' or a similar option.

How to Place Bets on the FA Cup

1. Visit a sports betting site or app.
2. Navigate to the football section of the site/app.
3. Filter by competition, and scroll down to the FA Cup section.
4. Find the FA Cup betting market you want to wager on here.
5. Choose the bet(s) you want to place.
6. Your odds and potential returns will be shown on screen when you enter your stake.
7. Press 'confirm' or 'place bet' to lock in your wager!

Read More: How to claim Champions League free bets

FA Cup Betting Tips & Strategy

Every season, the oldest football competition in the world provides a new chance for history to be written. A lot has changed since the FA Cup's inaugural season way back in 1871 but the Cup has stood the test of time and still provides plenty of drama and excitement.

Betting on the FA Cup will add to the thrill - but you need to employ a solid football betting strategy to get a proper run for your money.

Here are some general FA Cup betting strategy tips that you can apply to each campaign.

Tip 1 - Big Teams Win It, Smaller Sides Make the Final

Since the 1995/96 season, the big clubs in England have dominated the FA Cup winners list, with 23 of the victors being either Arsenal (8), Chelsea (7), Manchester United (4), Liverpool (2) or Manchester City (2). Portsmouth, Wigan Athletic and Leicester City are teams who have bucked that trend.

However, outside of the established elite, plenty of other clubs have made the final, such as Middlesbrough, Southampton, Millwall, West Ham, Cardiff City, Portsmouth, Stoke City, Hull City, Crystal Palace and Watford.

Factor this in when backing a smaller side by picking them to reach the final instead of winning the competition outright - as they'll usually be meeting a big gun once they reach the Wembley Stadium decider.

Tip 2 - Look For Cupsets

The FA Cup always throws up a few shocks , with smaller teams often turning out to be giant-killers. It’s a big part of what makes the FA Cup so special and for bettors it can mean big wins.

If a big team is contesting the Premier League title or chasing Champions League or Europa League glory, they might field a weakened team in the cup, giving lesser teams a big chance to pull off an upset.

If a smaller team is at home in this situation, research the quality of their pitch, as it may give them an advantage over their more esteemed opponents.

Read More: Gambling.com's guide to Premier League free bets

Tip 3- Avoid Teams Fighting Premier League Relegation

Teams fighting for Premier League survival might decide to focus on that and make changes when it comes to an FA Cup tie, which could leave them vulnerable to being knocked out.

That’s exactly what happened when Newcastle United hosted Cambridge United at St James’ Park in the third round of the 2021/22 season, as the Magpies went down 1-0 against relative minnows.

Recent FA Cup Finals