A year after coming so close to springing an upset of Championship side Sheffield United, Wrexham gun for another charge through this year's edition of the FA Cup, with a road trip to Shrewsbury Town in the third round.
Owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Wrexham have enjoyed a meteoric rise up the football pyramid in recent years. After being promoted back to the Football League last season, they are again pushing for promotion, in the hunt near the top of the League Two table.
Their opponents Shrewsbury Town sit 13th in League One, providing Wrexham a glimpse of how they'll match up next season should they secure promotion for a second straight campaign.
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Wrexham managed an upset of a League One opponent earlier this year as they downed Wigan in the early rounds of the EFL Cup on penalties, but fell in the same manner to fellow League Two side Bradford City later on in the competition.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Shrewsbury Town vs Wrexham and bet FA Cup matches
Shrewsbury Town vs Wrexham prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Wrexham (+125)
- Score prediction: Shrewsbury Town 0-2 Wrexham
The fun part about the early rounds of the FA Cup is when teams from the lower leagues meet across tiers, as it would be difficult to compare the gaps between each league without these particular matchups.
Sitting third in League Two and pushing for a second straight promotion up the EFL pyramid, Wrexham handled fellow fourth-tier side Mansfield Town 2-1 in the first round on the road, before easily dispatching non-league side Yeovil Town 3-0 at home in the second round. Thus, this will be their first step up against higher competition this year, after last season when they downed Championship side Coventry City before falling to Sheffield United.
Shrewsbury are mid-table in League One, but their goal differential tells a massively different story. They sport a -19 mark, good for third-worst in the league, having just put a four-game losing streak to bed with a 3-1 win over basement-dwellers Fleetwood Town. Wrexham should have the talent to handle the Shrews and hope for a more high-profile draw in the next round.
| DraftKings (USA) | |
| Shrewsbury win (90 mins) | +195 |
| Draw (90 mins) | +240 |
| Wrexham win (90 mins) | +125 |
| Both teams to score Y/N | -185 / +130 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | -145 / -105 |
| Wrexham to advance | -138 (FanDuel) |
| Shrewsbury to advance | +112 (FanDuel) |
Shrewsbury Town vs Wrexham match facts
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 2 p.m. local (9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT)
- Location: New Meadow (Shrewsbury, England)
- Referee: Andrew Kitchen, VAR: None*
- Last meeting: Shrewsbury Town 3-0 Wrexham (Apr. 13, 2008 | League Two)
*VAR is only in use in the FA Cup at Premier League grounds, meaning matches played at clubs from lower leagues will not have access to VAR review.
Shrewsbury Town vs Wrexham best bet
- Pick: Wrexham over 1.5 total goals
- Odds: -125 (DraftKings)
While Wrexham's defensive solidarity, or lack thereof, has let them down on a number of occasions this year, they have been scoring at will throughout the campaign. With 52 goals through 25 matches, they have the third-best goal scoring record in the league behind Notts County and Stockport.
29-year-old West Ham youth product Elliot Lee is challenging for the League Two scoring title with 13 goals in 25 games, six behind the leader, and promotion hero Paul Mullin sits on nine of his own. Yet it's been a team effort overall, as anyone in the squad can pop up at any moment. There are eight players with at least four goals on the season across all competitions, including a revived 36-year-old Steven Fletcher who is fresh off a sensational hat-trick against Barrow on New Year's Day.
With Shrewsbury prone to shipping goals, this is a good spot for Wrexham to ensure their place in the fourth round is reserved early.
Shrewsbury Town vs Wrexham prop bet
- Pick: Elliot Lee anytime goal scorer
- Odds: +300 (FanDuel)
While Elliot Lee has cooled off in recent weeks after his furiously hot start to the season, he remains the team's leading scorer and thus is a threat in front of goal regardless of the opposition or situation. Having started each of their first two FA Cup matches, he's not a threat to be rotated out, and he usually enjoys a full 90 minutes or close to it.
Paul Mullin is the Wrexham forward in the best form at the moment, but due to his popularity from the Welcome to Wrexham show, his odds offer a smaller window of opportunity than Lee's baffling number, and therefore it's smart to play the value.
Shrewsbury Town vs Wrexham live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | — | ESPN+ |
| Canada | Sportsnet | Sportsnet Now |
| UK | — | BBC IPlayer |
The broadcast rights for the 2023/24 FA Cup in the United States are owned by ESPN, with every game across the competition shown on ESPN+.
In Canada, Sportsnet hold the broadcast rights to the FA Cup, with all matches spread across the company's family of networks as well as their streaming service Sportsnet Now.
In the UK, the FA Cup rights are owned by ITV and BBC. This match will be streamed on BBC iPlayer.
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