Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
Here we have two teams with plenty in common. Both have had recent disappointments, with Watford suffering very heavy losses to both Manchester City and Liverpool. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace stuttered and failed to get the win against Brighton & Hove Albion in their last outing.
However, while both have had their ups and downs, it’s Crystal Palace who have struggled to remain consistent performance-wise. Watford, on the other hand, have surprised many with their longevity and their steadfastness. They have struggled against the best of the best, but Watford have done enough to beat the upper echelon of the Premier League.
That is more than can be said for their opponents, who have still not managed to completely erase the possibility of relegation at this late stage of the season – although it does appear unlikely. That being said, their league disappointments remain a dark cloud over the away side’s FA Cup hopes.
Watford vs Crystal Palace Prediction: Watford 1-0 Crystal Palace
When you consider the most likely outcome here, it comes down to more than just how each team has played recently – and how they can potentially play at their very best. You also need to consider how well they play week in, week out. And the fact is that on that criteria, the results speak for themselves.
Watford have produced more quality football than their opponents on a consistent basis We, therefore, think it’s likely they’ll outperform Crystal Palace here too, but only by a small margin. While a draw is possible, we predict the home team will just about pull this one out the bag. With that in mind, our scoreline prediction is 1-0 to Watford.
Our recommended tip: Watford win
The home side come into this contest with the advantage and the better odds at the bookmakers. They have, after all, been performing better than Crystal Palace recently – sitting six places and 10 points ahead of their opponents in the Premier League standings. Watford have also won four of their last six matches, falling only to Premier League frontrunners Manchester City and Liverpool. Therefore, for the best chance of winning your wager, we recommend that you back the favourites to victory. You’ll find low-risk 11/8 Watford match odds at Ladbrokes.
Previous matches
Although Crystal Palace hold an overall statistical advantage, what’s really remarkable here is that in nearly a century’s worth of games, neither has managed to get a serious advantage. The difference in victories remains very small considering the timeframe and the amount of matches played.
Moving onto the present day though, Watford do have a clear edge over Palace. They have bested them twice, both in 2018 and in January of this year, by 2-1. Before that, Crystal Palace have similar success, beating Watford twice in 2017. However, for the most recent victories and therefore a psychological edge, we’d say the advantage goes to Watford here.
Top 3 FA Cup Bookies
Players to watch: Gerard Deulofeu & Wilfried Zaha
Watford: Gerard Deulofeu
As we’re talking about teams that are so close in ability, we think this is a battle that will come down to a couple of key goalscorers. For Watford, that man is Gerard Deulofeu. He’s a player that manages to score in good times and bad, as we saw in their losing effort against Manchester City. He also played a key role against Leicester the week before, and managed a hat-trick against Cardiff in a brilliant performance.
Crystal Palace: Wilfried Zaha
It was a tough choice between Zaha and Luka Milivojević. And in all honesty, if you’re picking top goalscorers for a player to watch, you can make a compelling case for both. That being said, we’re going to give Wilfried Zaha the nod here for what we feel are ever so slightly better performances in recent weeks – but expect both to cause serious problems for Watford.
