FA Cup Round Two Betting: MK Dons to negotiate passage to next round

Will the MK Dons be in the hat for the FA Cup third round draw?

Sunday's live televised FA Cup games will feature the first ever clash between the MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon, and Alan Dudman feels Karl Robinson's side should have enough to make it to the third round. Elsewhere Leyton Orient will be looking to extend their recent good form at Alfreton.

MK Dons 1.374/11 v AFC Wimbledon 10.009/1, the draw 5.104/1

Sunday 12:30 BST, live on ITV1

It's the game MK Dons manager Karl Robinson wanted, whilst the footballing neutral has been eagerly anticipating the first ever encounter between the two clubs. That enthusiasm is not shared by those AFC Wimbledon fans that decide to boycott the FA Cup clash this Sunday, and they will disagree with MK's Chairman Pete Winkelman who said this week: "It's a potentially great rivalry."

The extra media attention has been on the visitors this week, something their boss Neal Ardley has spoken of, but there is something magical in seeing the blue and yellow shirts that so famously defeated Liverpool in the 1988 Wembley final.

Having seen MK Dons destroy teams with their football on numerous occasions in League One, the market is taking no chances by installing them as 1.374/11 favourites. The hosts have been brilliant in November and are unbeaten in eight matches. Last weekend they thumped Colchester 5-1 to finally find their scoring boots, having previously passed teams to death but lacking a finishing touch.

Robinson uses his tried and trusted 4-2-3-1, and at times can spin and move teams around with their free-flowing football and will have the majority of the possession for this encounter.

AFC Wimbledon's passage to this game came courtesy of a 4-3 extra time win over York City in the previous round, but they have won only once in their last five League Two matches. The visitors are up against a side that have conceded only five goals at home all season but I feel
the hosts should be good enough to score two goals. If the opening exchanges are tight in the first 15 minutes, there might still be some give in trading the match odds of the visitors.

Recommended bets:
Back MK Dons to win 2-0 @ 8.4015/2

Alfreton Town 4.904/1 v Leyton Orient 1.774/5, the draw 4.03/1

Sunday 15:15 BST, live on ESPN

Leyton Orient have hit top form, winning their last five games - including Saturday's 2-0 home win over Preston. The Londoners will be without suspended left-back Gary Sawyer for this weekend's FA Cup clash, but have a number of players who are currently in red-hot form.

Wingers Dean Cox and Lee Cook have been supplying the ammunition, and offer genuine width, whilst the front pairing of Kevin Lisbie and David Mooney have struck up a fine relationship and are offering more movement than was seen early in the season.

The Os line up 4-4-2 and have also been fairly direct on occasions with their new battling qualities highlighted in that Preston game - a match played in horrible conditions. With their aggression and ability to play with width on the counter-attack, they might have the tools to grind out a result at Alfreton this weekend.

The hosts have beaten Gateshead and Wrexham to earn their place in the second round, and are currently three games unbeaten in the Conference Premier.

Alfreton have never reached the third round of the FA Cup, and I am finding it hard to oppose Orient. If the odds-on price is too risky for an away side, I would look at correct scorelines of 1-0 and 2-0.

Recommended bets:
Back Orient to win 0-1 @ 9.4017/2 and 0-2 @ 12.011/1