The League Cup has been rebranded with the hope that the biggest clubs in England will take the competition more seriously. We get to see just how well that works this week as the clubs involved in European football enter the fray. The third round gives us some one sided ties and others which could go either way. That means a variety of betting opportunities from short to long odds. To capitalise, we’ve put together three accas to whet your appetite below.
Easy Winner – 5/4 (Sky Bet)
- Arsenal to beat Nottingham Forest (1/2) – Arsenal have a number of fringe players looking to make an impact so whatever side Arsene Wenger puts out should be strong enough to beat Nottingham Forest.
- Manchester United to beat Northampton (1/4) – This is a huge match for Northampton who will need no extra motivation but they will surely prove no real match for the visiting Manchester United.
- West Ham to beat Accrington Stanley (1/5) – Stanley came up with an excellent result in the last round against Burnley to set up a match at the London Stadium. However, West Ham are desperate to put a poor start to the season behind them and will be gunning for the victory on Wednesday night.
Medium Risk – 5/1 (BetVictor)
- Bournemouth to beat Preston (7/10) – Bournemouth are exactly the sort of team who would love a League Cup run. The Cherries are very much on the up and although avoiding relegation is the number one aim, they should progress to the fourth round at least by beating Preston at home.
- Leeds to beat Blackburn (23/20) – Two of the most disappointing sides in the first few weeks of the Championship season meet at Elland Road. Leeds, under Garry Monk, can still rescue their season while Blackburn are in turmoil on and off the pitch. This looks like a very welcome home win.
- Both teams to score in Southampton v Crystal Palace (13/20) – Crystal Palace will fancy their chances against the Saints on Wednesday night. It’s not been a great start for either team but Alan Pardew’s team are improving and will cause Southampton numerous problems. The Saints will also be a real threat with their various goalscoring options so both teams should find the net.
Long Shot – 22/1 (Bet365)
- Chelsea to beat Leicester and both teams to score (7/2) – Chelsea will be going full tilt for the domestic cups this season given they’ve got no European football. Leicester should be able to score against the Blues but this may be their one and only League Cup game this season.
- Newcastle to beat Wolves (evens) – Newcastle have just one job this season – returning to the top flight. However, they’ve got a big squad, will be well supported at St James’ Park and should be able to beat one of their Championship rivals.
- Tottenham to beat Gillingham and both teams to score (7/5) – There is next to no chance that Gillingham will leave White Hart Lane still in the League Cup. That said, this will be one of the biggest matches of their season and they should be able to give the travelling fans something to cheer about.