Saturday's FA Cup predictions including Northampton vs. Kettering

Rotherham vs. Cheltenham (Saturday, 3.00pm)

Rotherham United will welcome Cheltenham Town to the New York Stadium on Saturday for an FA Cup first-round tie.

The two teams last met in League One in the 2021-22 campaign with the hosts completing a double, while their visitors now sit 16th in England's fourth tier.

We say: Rotherham United 2-0 Cheltenham Town

Even despite their struggles so far this season, particularly going forward, Rotherham United should have too much for their fourth-tier visitors on Saturday, and we can only see the Millers progressing in relatively comfortable fashion.

Barrow vs. Doncaster (Saturday, 3.00pm)

A pair of top-half League Two sides vie for FA Cup progression at Holker Street on Saturday afternoon, as Barrow and Doncaster Rovers begin their latest tournament campaigns in the first round.

While both teams are competing in the upper echelons of the fourth-tier table, the hosts are enduring a dismal winless sequence, while their visitors are firmly in the promotion mix.

We say: Barrow 0-2 Doncaster Rovers

Barrow boss Clemence - who may or may not be on the touchline for this game - is still searching for solutions to his side's attacking troubles, whereas Doncaster are scoring for fun on the road.

As a result, we have complete faith in Rovers to book their spot in the second round with minimal stress.

Exeter vs. Barnet (Saturday, 3.00pm)

League One's Exeter City are set to face National League side Barnet in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon at St James Park.

This will mark the hosts' first appearance in the competition this season, while the visitors secured their spot in this round with a commanding 4-0 victory over Chelmsford City in the fourth qualifying round.

We say: Exeter City 3-1 Barnet

Exeter competes two divisions higher than their visitors, and while Barnet are likely to give the hosts a difficult test, we expect the hosts to eventually secure the win.

Carlisle vs. Wigan (Saturday, 3.00pm)

Fourth-tier Carlisle United will welcome League One Wigan Athletic to Brunton Park for Saturday's FA Cup first-round clash.

The two sides are set to meet for the second tie in less than a month after Wigan clinched a 2-0 victory in an EFL Trophy clash on October 8.

We say: Carlisle United 1-2 Wigan Athletic

Wigan have already enjoyed success at Brunton Park this season, and we think they will draw inspiration from that EFL Trophy victory to claim another win against a Carlisle side that have lost six of their last eight competitive matches.

Wycombe vs. York City (Saturday, 3.00pm)

League One meets National League in the first round of the FA Cup this weekend, as Wycombe Wanderers host York City at Adams Park on Saturday afternoon.

While the Chairboys commence their latest knockout campaign at this stage of the competition, Adam Hinshelwood's team had to navigate their way past eighth-tier Biggleswade in qualifying.

We say: Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 York City

The shackles should come off for a York City side with nothing to lose on Saturday, and the Minstermen have been in red-hot form in the National League, so Wycombe's backline should not emerge unblemished.

However, even a second-string Chairboys team should avoid an embarrassing exit at the hands of the non-league leaders, although their victory may not be entirely convincing.

Bradford vs. Aldershot (Saturday, 3.00pm)

National League side Aldershot Town make the trip Valley Parade to face League Two outfit Bradford City in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams enter this contest on the back of losing in the league last weekend, with the Bantams suffering defeat at home to Doncaster Rovers and the Shots coming up short away against Hartlepool United.

We say: Bradford City 2-1 Aldershot Town

Aldershot will not be taken lightly by Bradford considering how far they pushed them in previous years, as well as other EFL clubs in this competition. However, the Bantams will still be regarded as favourites to come out on top, even if they decide to make a few changes.

Hednesford vs. Gainsborough (Saturday, 3.00pm)

Hednesford Town and Gainsborough Trinity square off in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon, guaranteeing that a team from either the seventh or eight tier will make the second round.

Both teams are in the bottom half of their respective divisions, Hednesford sitting in 16th place in the Northern League West and the visitors down in 20th position of the Northern League Premier.

We say: Hednesford Town 2-3 Gainsborough Trinity

Both teams defied their place in the league pyramid and own form to upset the odds in the fourth qualifying round, putting them on somewhat of an even platform here. While Hednesford rose to the occasion versus Gateshead, we feel that Gainsborough will prove too strong in attack given their recent exploits on their travels.

Burton Albion vs. Scarborough Ath (Saturday, 3.00pm)

Looking to advance into the second round of football's oldest cup competition, Burton Albion and Scarborough Athletic will lock horns at the Pirelli Stadium in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.

The Brewers are enduring a woeful start to the campaign in League One, whilst the Seadogs are marooned in the middle of National League North.

We say: Burton Albion 2-1 Scarborough Athletic

Low on confidence due to their League One struggles, Burton could be unnerved by a shaky start at the Pirelli Stadium against non-league opposition.

That being said, the Brewers should have too much quality for Scarborough, who could be having nightmares about Orsi and Bodin on Saturday night.

Tranmere vs. Oldham (Saturday, 3.00pm)

The first round of the FA Cup will see a Merseyside-Greater Manchester affair, when Tranmere Rovers welcome Oldham Athletic to Prenton Park on Saturday.

In what was a second-tier fixture in the 1990s, both have fallen a long way since, with Tranmere still just about an EFL club after returning a few years ago, and Oldham now in non-league.

We say: Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Oldham Athletic

Despite being in the league below, Oldham are only nine places behind Tranmere in the football pyramid, and bring much more form and confidence into this one than their hosts.

Recent years have shown that those at the top of the National League are often stronger than those struggling at the bottom of League Two, and that could be proven again here.

Walsall vs. Bolton (Saturday, 3.00pm)

Both gunning for promotion in their respective divisions, Walsall and Bolton Wanderers will turn their attentions to the FA Cup as they meet for a first-round tie at the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Saddlers were frustratingly held in League Two by a relegation candidate last time out, whilst Wanderers produced a stellar display on the road in League One.

We say: Walsall 1-2 Bolton Wanderers

Following a sensational start to the League Two season, Walsall face arguably their toughest assignment yet as Bolton visit the Bescot in the FA Cup.

Wanderers are enjoying a good run of form and should be confident of advancing past fourth-tier opposition, although we feel that the Saddlers will make Evatt's troops work extremely hard for a second-round spot.

Bristol Rovers vs. Weston (Saturday, 3.00pm)

Sixth-tier Weston-super-Mare will be looking to pull off an FA Cup shock when they travel to the Memorial Stadium for Saturday's first-round clash with Bristol Rovers.

Weston-super-Mare will carry a 16-game unbeaten run into the contest, while the Gas have lost four of their previous five matches.

We say: Bristol Rovers 2-1 Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare will be full of confidence after putting together a 16-game unbeaten run in all competitions, but while they could pose a problem or two, we believe Bristol Rovers' football league quality will shine through to help them secure a place in the second round.

Stockport vs. Forest Green (Saturday, 3.00pm)

Stockport County and Forest Green Rovers will be eager to make further progress in the FA Cup when they meet in the first round on Saturday afternoon.

At a time when the home side occupy 10th spot in the League One table, the visitors are riding high in second place in the National League standings.

We say: Stockport County 4-1 Forest Green Rovers

Forest Green's form in the fifth tier means that they travel North with as much expectation as hope. Nevertheless, the gulf in class between the sides could show, leading us to predict a comprehensive home victory.

Reading vs. Fleetwood (Saturday, 3.00pm)

Fighting it out in the first round of the FA Cup, Reading and Fleetwood Town will clash at Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday.

While the Royals ended a largely successful October with a heavy defeat, their League Two counterparts have just gone four games without a win.

We say: Reading 2-0 Fleetwood Town

Having scored first in five of their last six outings, Reading will expect to make a fast start against Fleetwood, who have been off-colour of late.

The hosts may be short of numbers, but there is still sufficient quality in their squad to ensure safe passage through to the next round.

Stevenage vs. Guiseley (Saturday, 3.00pm)

In the first round of the FA Cup, League One side Stevenage are set to host seventh-tier side Guiseley on Saturday at Lamex Stadium.

The home team are 15th with 17 points after 14 matches in League One and lost 4-1 against Bolton Wanderers on October 29, while the visitors are seventh in the Northern Premier Division with 22 points from 13 league games.

We say: Stevenage 2-1 Guiseley

While Stevenage may make changes from the team that faced Bolton, it is difficult to see how Guiseley can take advantage given the calibre of their opponents.