Like Tony Pulis, new Crystal Palace manager, Alan Pardew, has enjoyed life since taking over at the club in January. The Eagles have won three of their five Premier League games since the former Newcastle boss took charge – drawing one and losing the other – and for all the plaudits heaped on Pulis, Palace actually sit higher in the form table since both managers started in their new posts.

Unfortunately for Pardew, his Crystal Palace team welcome the #1 ranked team in terms of recent form to Selhurst Park on Saturday evening as Liverpool – currently unbeaten in 12 league and F.A. Cup games – arrive in London looking to improve their position as 5/1 third favourites to lift the cup.

Certainly, the bookies are backing the Reds to deliver in what should be an electric evening kick-off and have named Brendan Rodgers men as 11/10 favourites for the clash – ahead of Palace at 11/4 and the draw at 13/5 – despite the fact that they last won at Selhurst Park in the 1997/1998 season.

With those odds looking decidedly short based on their recent record away to Palace, it may be wise to look elsewhere to find your value on this fixture – and the goals market looks a good place to start. In their last six league and cup meetings, the two sides have shared 22 goals between them – including the dramatic 3-3 draw last season that effectively handed the title to Manchester City – and you can get a generous 5/2 on there being over 3.5 goals in this one, with the odds rising to 5/1 when you combine 3.5 goals with a Liverpool win and a huge 11/1 when you do so with Palace.

Other markets worth looking at are the first and anytime goalscorer markets, where there are a wealth of viable candidates currently vying for our attention. With Raheem Sterling sitting out Liverpool’s last game with a foot injury and Daniel Sturridge unlikely to turn many heads at odds of 4/1, you may find better value on Wednesday’s match-winner, Mario Balotelli, making a rare start and finding the net first at 13/2, while the promising Jordon Ibe is also available at a massive 11/1.

For Palace, meanwhile, it seems that Pardew is yet to settle on his preferred partnership in attack, with Yaya Sanogo, Marouane Chamakh, Dwight Gayle and Frazier Campbell all finding the net in recent games to make choosing a first scorer here very difficult. One player who has quietly flourished since his appointment, however, is Jason Puncheon – and with two goals in six appearances under his new manager, he looks a decent outside bet to find the net anytime at 5/1.