How to bet FA Cup, Copa del Rey, all European domestic cup finals

With the Europe league programmes complete, it's time for the showpiece domestic cup finals, all five of which take place this weekend: England's FA Cup, Spain's Copa del Rey, Germany's DFB-Pokal, France's Coupe de la Ligue and Italy's Coppa Italia.

ESPN Chalk handicapper James Eastham breaks down the best value bets, including picks for Manchester United-Crystal Palace, Barcelona-Sevilla, Bayern Munich-Borussia Dortmund, PSG-Marseille and Milan-Juventus.

Note: Asian handicap betting eliminates the draw and provides the possibility of getting your stakes back (depending on the bet you place). For example, should you back a team 0 Asian handicap, your stakes will be returned if the game ends in a draw (as the handicap has been equaled). If you back a team -1.0 Asian handicap and the team you've backed wins by a single goal, your stakes will be returned (as the handicap has been equaled). This "safety net" of having your stakes returned is the primary difference between Asian handicap and handicap betting.

Saturday

England (FA Cup)

Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace
Asian handicap: Man United -0.75 (+101) vs. Crystal Palace +0.75 (-110)
3-way line: Man United -132 / Crystal Palace +467 / Draw +264
Total: 2 (Over -126, Under +112) 

For fans of a certain age, this fixture will evoke memories of 1990 and the first trophy Sir Alex Ferguson won as Manchester United manager. United ran out FA Cup winners that year thanks to a 1-0 replay victory over Crystal Palace after a hugely entertaining 3-3 draw in the first game. English football has changed immeasurably since, but there are similarities: Just like Ferguson 26 years ago, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is looking to win football's oldest knockout tournament in order to rescue a disappointing season.

United are favourites, and that is no surprise -- they finished 10 places and 24 points ahead of Crystal Palace in the Premier League standings -- but the inconsistency that has plagued the Red Devils' season means they cannot be backed with any confidence. Crystal Palace have also underachieved -- at one point they were tipped to challenge for a European place only to finish 15th -- and their 2016 form figures (7-12-5) hardly inspire confidence. It is essentially a clash between underwhelming sides, and while that does not necessarily mean it will be a disappointing game, there are few convincing reasons to favour either team.

Perhaps the best pick is on goals. The total line is set low but United finished the season in fine form: They've scored 11 goals in their last six matches, including a 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday.

ESPN Chalk pick: Over 2 goals (-126)

Germany (DFB Pokal)

Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund
Asian handicap: Bayern Munich -0.5 (+104) vs. Dortmund +0.5 (-11)
3-way line: Bayern Munich +104 / Dortmund +289 / Draw +267
Total: 2.5 (Over -118, Under +108) 

Bayern Munich are given slightly less than a 50 percent chance of winning and that represents a good opportunity. These two may be the leading duo in German football, but there is a clear difference in quality between the pair: Bayern, which lost just twice in the Bundesliga all season, finished 10 points ahead of second-place Dortmund in the final standings.

The pair drew 0-0 in Dortmund but Bayern underlined their class with a 5-1 win against their nearest rivals when the sides met in the autumn. Dortmund should not be underestimated, but it would be a surprise if they were to stop Bayern winning in normal time.

ESPN Chalk pick: Bayern Munich (+104)

France (Coupe de la Ligue)

Paris Saint Germain vs. Marseille
Asian handicap: Paris Saint Germain -1.5 (+108) vs. Marseille +1.5 (-118)
3-way line: Paris Saint Germain -287 / Marseille +953 / Draw +430
Total: 2.5 (Over -122, Under +109)

PSG vs OM is France's most famous rivalry. The pair may operate in different spheres right now -- PSG are one of Europe's elite, while Marseille have just finished 13th in Ligue 1 and have a litany of off-field problems to deal with -- yet Marseille may attract interest here.

PSG have won the past three domestic cup finals but not always in convincing fashion: They recorded a 1-0 victory over moderate Ligue 2 opponents Auxerre in last season's French Cup final and had to rely on a one-goal margin of victory to defeat Lille in last month's League Cup final (2-1). Marseille lost by only one goal in their two league head-to-head matches vs PSG this season (2-1 on each occasion) and have some experienced players used to dealing with big occasions, notably France goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and France midfielder Lassana Diarra.

Yet PSG finished the season in formidable form; even though they had nothing to play for, they won eight of their final six Ligue 1 games, averaging a plus-2.63 goal difference per game across those fixtures. They will be keen to complete a domestic treble for the second year in a row, and in his final appearance for the club, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be determined to sign off in style.

ESPN Chalk pick: PSG -1.5 Asian handicap (+108)

Italy (Coppa Italia)

Juventus vs. AC Milan
Asian handicap: Juventus -0.75 (-112) vs. AC Milan +0.75 (+103)
3-way line: Juventus -152 / AC Milan +559 / Draw +276 
Total: 2 (Over -117, Under +105)

Juventus were comfortably the best side in Serie A once again this season, embarking on a fantastic run of results to claim their fourth consecutive title. They finished six places and 34 points above a moderate AC Milan side, and the only way Juventus seem likely to fail to win in 90 minutes this weekend is if their players have already switched off and don't consider this a trophy worth winning.

La Vecchia Signora are short odds on the 3-way line, so the handicap is a smarter selection on a side capable of winning by a couple of goals.

ESPN Chalk pick: Over 2.25 goals (-121)

Sunday

Spain (Copa del Rey)

Barcelona vs. Sevilla
Asian handicap: Barcelona -1.75 (-108) vs. Sevilla +1.75 (-101)
3-way line: Barcelona -343 / Sevilla +860 / Draw +605
Total: 3.5 (Over -111, Under +100) 

Here's the key question: Which team will care more? The answer is likely to be Barcelona. The Blaugrana will be intent on winning in order to try to reduce the pain of a season that will almost certainly be classified as a disappointment due to their Champions League quarter-final defeat to Atletico Madrid. Sevilla, in contrast, peaked just days ago: Their 3-1 comeback victory over Liverpool in the Europa League final on Wednesday was a massive achievement, so it may be hard for the players to rouse themselves for a game that is important but undoubtedly a lesser occasion.

Sevilla will draw confidence from their head-to-head record -- they won 2-1 in La Liga last October and limited Barcelona to a 2-1 victory in February -- but given the timing and context, the Catalans ought to be too strong this time.

ESPN Chalk pick: Barcelona -1.75 Asian handicap (-108)

James Eastham is a soccer betting specialist for the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Betfair. He also worked previously as an EPL tipster for The New Paper (Singapore) and The Guardian Online (UK).