Blackburn vs Wrexham Prediction: Rovers at risk of exit to Red Dragons

The FA Cup fourth round - excluding replays - concludes at Ewood Park on Monday night (KO, 19:30), as Blackburn Rovers play host to AFC Wrexham.

Blackburn beat Cambridge United 5-2 in the third round to reach this stage while League Two high-fliers Wrexham entered the competition two rounds earlier, overcoming Mansfield Town 2-1 and Yeovil Town 3-0 before a 1-0 win at Shrewsbury Town earlier this month.

The Welsh side will be looking to go one better than last season when they drew 3-3 with Sheffield United in the fourth round before going down 3-1 in the replay.

Wrexham will take encouragement from Rovers' recent form, with the Championship club winless in their last seven league games.

Team News

Rovers defenders Hayden Carter and Harry Pickering both picked up injuries in their side's 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town last weekend, and the duo will miss out on this cup tie alongside Ryan Hedges, who has been in the treatment room since September.

New recruit Connor O'Riordan will also be absent after featuring in the FA Cup for previous club Crewe Alexandra earlier this season.

Tyrhys Dolan is expected to be back in the squad after being out since November, though.

Wrexham could welcome Gambia defender Jacob Mendy back into the fold after his country's participation at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations came to an end on Tuesday.

William Boyle is banned for Monday's game as a result of an early red card against Newport, with Eoghan O'Connell expected to deputise, while injured quartet Steven Fletcher, Andy Cannon, Anthony Forde and Thomas O'Connor - who scored the winner in the last round - remain absent.

Match Odds

Blackburn are 4/6 favourites to win inside 90 minutes on Monday and progress to the fifth round, with a win for Wrexham at 7/2 and a draw - which would send the tie to a replay at the Racecourse Ground - at 16/5.

Both teams to score at Ewood is 8/15 and it's 1/2 for over 2.5 goals.

Draw or Wrexham and Both Team To Score - Yes @ 15/8

Both sides are missing players for Monday's game, so neither are at full strength. Rovers obviously have a more expensively-assembled squad and players with higher-level experience, but Wrexham are a club on the rise and they should be in a confident mood after winning 16 of their last 22 matches.

Their form, coupled with the home side's woeful record since December, should see an even contest unravel at Ewood. I think the Red Dragons have enough to come away with at least a draw, which would force a replay at their own ground.

We should see goals in Lancashire, too, with 13 of Rovers' previous 15 games seeing at least three goals scored, and both teams have scored in each of their last five.

Paul Mullin to score anytime @ 2/1

The 2022/23 FA Cup top scorer already has one to his name in the competition this season, away at Mansfield in November, and he will be desperate to add to his tally on Monday night.

Mullin's been in good goalscoring form of late, netting in three of his five games since Christmas Day, taking his tally to 12 this term.

With Fletcher out, the burden is well and truly on his shoulders to get the goals that will keep Wrexham in the automatic promotion spots in League Two, and fire them as far as possible in the FA Cup.

Against a Rovers backline that has shipped 21 goals in its last seven games, the opportunity is there for him on Monday.

Check out the rest of our Football Betting Tips here.