Aston Villa face Cardiff City in an FA Cup tie scheduled for Friday night.

Aston Villa vs Cardiff City best bets

• Aston Villa – 2 handicap – 20/21 with CopyBet
• Aston Villa to score in both halves – 4/6 with Paddy Power
• Marcus Rashford to score any time – 5/4 with Betfred

Aston Villa vs Cardiff City odds

Find the latest match odds for Aston Villa vs Cardiff City. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

Aston Villa vs Cardiff City predictions

Aston Villa were on a high after coming from behind to beat Chelsea last weekend, but the upbeat feeling did not last long.

By 10pm on Tuesday night, Villa had been brought back down to earth with a thud. A 4-1 thumping by Crystal Palace put a dent in their Champions League qualification chances and represented less-than-ideal preparation for this FA Cup tie.

The score was locked at 1-1 shortly before the hour mark, but Villa were blown away after the interval. Palace registered an xG of 4.31, their highest-ever figure on record. That does not reflect well on Unai Emery’s team.

“It was progressively, of course, more difficult for us,” Emery said of his team’s declining performance on the night. “We were not dominating a lot of duels as well with them. It’s tough to lose here. We have to accept it. We are frustrated and we have to try to move on.”

In a way, this was a continuation of a theme. Villa have been pretty wretched on the road all season long. Only the bottom four have collected fewer points at opposition stadiums.

That puts huge pressure on Villa’s home form. They have mostly been very good in front of their own fans, but it is hard to see Villa finishing in the top five unless they start to improve on their travels.

The focus this season appears to be on the Champions League. That is understandable. After finishing in the top eight of the league phase, Villa will face Club Brugge in the round of 16 beginning next week.

Although the Belgian outfit should not be underestimated given their surprise success against Atalanta in the play-offs, they are clearly one of the weaker teams still standing in Europe’s principal competition. The quarter-finals are within touching distance for Villa.

Still, it is difficult to envisage Emery’s team actually winning the competition, so the FA Cup offers the club’s best chance of silverware this season. Without a major trophy since 1995, a club of Villa’s size ought to be reaching the latter stages of this tournament on a regular basis.

The draw has again been kind, pairing Villa with the second-lowest ranked team remaining in the fifth round. Cardiff City beat Sheffield United and Stoke City to get here, but this is their toughest assignment yet.

Aston Villa vs Cardiff City betting tips

Can Cardiff City cause an upset against Aston Villa in the fifth round of the FA Cup?

Aston Villa – 2 handicap

Cardiff’s run to the fifth round of the FA Cup has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming season. 

The Welsh outfit are 19th in the Championship and, despite a six-point buffer above the bottom three, they are by no means guaranteed a place in the second tier next term.

Free Bet Offers

Check out all the best betting offers available from our partners

Claim Free Bets here

18+ gambleaware.org T&Cs Apply

Perhaps an FA Cup tie at Villa Park is an unwelcome distraction given that Cardiff could be nudged closer to the drop zone this weekend.

It is hard to make a case for the Bluebirds, who have lost 14 games in the Championship with 10 of those coming by a two-goal margin or more.

This should be a pretty comfortable 90 minutes for Aston Villa.

Go for Aston Villa with a -2 handicap at 20/21 with CopyBet

Aston Villa to score in both halves

If Cardiff fans are looking for sources of optimism ahead of Friday’s showdown, they should avoid the recent head-to-head record.

Cardiff have not won any of their last 15 visits to Villa Park, with their last victory at the famous old ground coming way back in 1954.

Emery does not have a full complement of players at his disposal. Emi Martinez came off injured against Crystal Palace, joining Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley, Tyrone Mings, Boubacar Kamara and Pau Torres on the treatment table.

Even so, Villa’s attacking talent should cause plenty of problems for Cardiff, who have the fourth-worst defensive record in the Championship.

Choose Aston Villa to score in both halves at 4/6 with Paddy Power

Marcus Rashford to score any time

Marcus Rashford registered two assists in the victory over Chelsea last weekend, but he was left out of the starting XI against Crystal Palace.

The Manchester United loanee is still finding his feet in new surroundings, but there have been flashes of quality since his move to Villa Park.

Rashford is still waiting for his first goal in the claret and blue. There is a good chance it will come against Cardiff.

Emery is bound to start the forward knowing that a strong performance here would do his confidence a world of good.

It is still hard to work out exactly what level of player Rashford is, but his quality should be clear against Championship opposition.

Back Marcus Rashford to score any time at 5/4 with Betfred

How to watch Aston Villa vs Cardiff City

• Location: Villa Park, Birmingham, England.
• Date and time: Friday 28th February, 8pm.
• How to watch: ITV1 and ITVX.

Read more about the 2024/25 football season

• Premier League winner predictions
• Premier League top scorer odds
• Premier League relegation odds
• Champions League winner odds
• Championship promotion odds

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.