Bolton vs. Solihull (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Following three successive wins in the league, Bolton Wanderers will be aiming to continue their upward momentum when they host Solihull Moors at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
The Whites will take a brief break from the rigours of third-tier life to battle against the Moors, who are currently looking to climb into the Football League for the first time in their short history.
We say: Bolton Wanderers 3-0 Solihull Moors
Bolton have been easing past teams in League One in recent weeks and will be confident of doing the same against a Solihull side who play in the fifth tier.
The Moors have failed to win on their travels since September, and we cannot envisage a cup upset at the Toughsheet Community Stadium this weekend.
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Exeter vs. Wigan (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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After missing out on a place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Tuesday, a new opportunity awaits Exeter City as they host fellow League One side Wigan Athletic in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
St James Park witnessed a dramatic five-goal thriller between the Grecians and Middlesbrough last time out, while Wigan's good form of late was halted by a loss against Charlton Athletic on the same night.
We say: Exeter City 1-2 Wigan Athletic
After such an emotionally-draining evening against Middlesbrough on Tuesday, there are concerns over whether Exeter can find the strength required to break their winless run this weekend.
The Latics were much improved in the second half against Charlton, and we suspect Maloney's men will have enough attacking quality to secure their place in the second round on Saturday.
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Leyton Orient vs. Carlisle (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Leyton Orient welcome Carlisle United to Brisbane Road for Saturday's FA Cup first round encounter.
Both sides previously competed in League Two before gaining promotion to League One at the backend of last season and should know what to expect from the other this weekend.
We say: Leyton Orient 1-0 Carlisle United
While a decent cup run could appeal to Carlisle, prioritising League One safety could mean their undefeated run at this stage ends at Leyton Orient.
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Port Vale vs. Burton Albion (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Port Vale, who reached the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup in midweek, will welcome fellow League One side Burton Albion to Vale Park for Saturday's FA Cup tie.
The Brewers head into the first-round contest off the back of a promising run of form, having lost just one of their last 10 matches.
We say: Port Vale 1-2 Burton Albion
Port Vale will be in high spirits after booking their place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals, but we think that they may struggle to claim another cup win at the weekend.
Burton have had a week to prepare for Saturday's contest, and their fresh legs could help them claim a fourth straight victory in away meetings with Port Vale.
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Peterborough vs. Salford City (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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The first round of England's longest-running football competition, the FA Cup, will get underway this weekend, and Peterborough United will look to get off to a winning start when they take on Salford City at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Last season, these two were drawn against each other in the opening round of this competition as well, and after playing out a stalemate at this venue, The Posh claimed a 3-0 win in the replay at the Peninsula Stadium a couple of weeks later.
We say: Peterborough United 2-0 Salford City
Peterborough are one of the most in-form teams in League One this season and are already being tipped to secure promotion back to the Championship this season. The Posh have also won four of their last five at home, and against lower-division opponents here, we are backing the hosts to claim another scalp in this one.
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Bradford vs. Wycombe (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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In an action-packed weekend of first-round FA Cup football, Bradford City will be taking on League One outfit Wycombe Wanderers at the University of Bradford Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
This will be the first encounter between these sides since 2018, and the winners of this tie will progress to round two after being knocked out of this competition in the first round in the last two consecutive seasons.
We say: Bradford City 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers will see this as the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways following four winless league matches. The visitors did score two goals in three of those games, and we are expecting them to register at least another couple on the road to a win in this one.
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Shrewsbury vs. Colchester (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Shrewsbury Town and Colchester United will both be vying for a place in the second round of the FA Cup when they go head-to-head in Saturday's clash at New Meadow.
The hosts are looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats in League One, while their fourth-tier opponents have the chance to claim a third successive victory.
We say: Shrewsbury Town 1-0 Colchester United
Although Shrewsbury have suffered consecutive away defeats, they have performed well in recent games at New Meadow, and we think they will do enough in Saturday's contest to get the win and extend their unbeaten home run to five games across all competitions.
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Lincoln vs. Morecambe (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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League One side Lincoln City welcome League Two outfit Morecambe to Sincil Bank for an FA Cup first-round tie on Saturday afternoon.
The Imps and the Shrimps face off in the FA Cup for the first time since the former secured a 1-0 first-round victory back in 1976-77.
We say: Lincoln City 2-1 Morecambe
A total of 10 goals were scored across three meetings between Lincoln and Morecambe last season, with both teams netting on each occasion, and there could be plenty of goalmouth action once again this weekend.
Despite their midweek defeat, the Shrimps remain in high spirts heading to Sincil Bank and will fancy their chances of coming out on top against the Imps, but we believe the hosts will do enough to avoid a cup upset and progress to the second round.
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Reading vs. MK Dons (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Reading will look to distract themselves from their poor league form when they play host to MK Dons in Saturday's FA Cup tie.
While the League One hosts are low on confidence, their fourth-tier opponents will carry some momentum into the first-round meeting after claiming consecutive victories.
We say: Reading 1-2 MK Dons
While Reading may play their football in the league above MK Dons, they head into the weekend off the back of a poor run of form.
In contrast to their hosts, MK Dons will be full of confidence following consecutive victories, and we think they will continue to build momentum with a win in Saturday's cup tie.
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Doncaster vs. Accrington (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Doncaster Rovers and Accrington Stanley meet at the Eco-Power Stadium in an all-League Two affair in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Both sides showed strong form throughout October and are now looking up the table, but attention will turn away from league matters for the weekend as they get their FA Cup campaigns underway.
We say: Doncaster Rovers 2-1 Accrington Stanley
In what is a tough encounter to call on paper, home advantage and a strong recent cup record may favour Doncaster slightly in this one.
Accrington are notorious for struggling to get past the first round, and having been given a difficult draw, another early exit could be on the cards for Coleman's men.
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Notts County vs. Crawley (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Looking to bounce back from only their second home defeat of the campaign, Notts County will begin their adventure in this year's FA Cup by welcoming Crawley Town to Meadow Lane on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies were unable to get a result against newly-found rivals Wrexham last time out, while the Red Devils of Sussex suffered a disappointing loss at strugglers Forest Green Rovers to extend their winless run.
We say: Notts County 2-0 Crawley Town
Notts County will be desperate to return to winning ways after a hard-to-take loss against rivals Wrexham last time out, and we can see the Magpies progressing into the second round quite comfortably.
Crawley are enduring a rocky run of form of late and are likely to exit this year's FA Cup at the first hurdle on Saturday afternoon at Meadow Lane.
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AFC Wimbledon vs. Cheltenham (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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League One strugglers Cheltenham Town will be bidding to book their spot in the second round of the FA Cup when they make the trip to League Two AFC Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 victory over Port Vale in the third tier, while AFC Wimbledon suffered a 4-1 defeat to Morecambe in their last League Two fixture.
We say: AFC Wimbledon 1-2 Cheltenham Town
This is a difficult match to call, and it would not be a surprise to see either of these sides advance to the next stage. Cheltenham are playing much better at the moment, though, and we are tipping the League One outfit to edge a close contest in order to progress to the next round.
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Mansfield vs. Wrexham (Saturday, 7.45pm)
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Separated by just one place and one point in the League Two standings, Mansfield Town and Wrexham temporarily cease their promotion charge to lock horns in the FA Cup first round at Field Mill on Saturday evening.
The hosts suffered their first defeat of the season to Port Vale in the EFL Cup in midweek, while their visitors comfortably dispatched Notts County 2-0 in their most recent league affair.
We say: Mansfield Town 0-1 Wrexham
Sweating over the fitness of Akins and reeling from their first defeat of the season, the stage appears set for a jelly-legged Mansfield to suffer a second cup exit in a matter of days.
Despite their unenviable injury list, Wrexham have been a tough nut to crack on enemy territory in recent weeks, and we believe that Parkinson's men have what it takes to shade a tight battle to book their place in round two.
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Ben Knapton
