EFL Cup Tips: Predictions for the first set of midweek matches | OneFootball

EFL Cup

Best bets for the EFL Cup third round

There are four midweek EFL Cup matches taking place this week, and Jack Critchley has used the Betfair Sportsbook to pick out his best bets for each of the games...

Brentford vs Aston Villa - Carvalho to continue his hot streak

Tuesday, 20:00

Brentford have had a mixed start to the Premier League campaign under new boss Keith Andrews; however, Saturday's comeback 2-2 draw with Chelsea proved that the players are giving everything for the Irishman, and he has plenty of buy-in from the squad. Considering the sweeping changes that have taken place in West London this summer, Bees fans will be relatively happy with recent displays, and they made fairly light work of Bournemouth in the previous round of this competition.

Andrews made wholesale changes for that encounter, and he is likely to tinker with his XI once again on Tuesday night. Mikkel Damsagaard missed the Chelsea game with illness and could line up here alongside Rico Henry, Kristoffer Ajer and Kevin Schade. Fabio Carvalho netted in the previous round and came off the bench to tap home the equaliser on Saturday night. He is hammering down the door, and it surely won't be long until he is a regular starter in PL games. Having played less than ten minutes against the Blues, he is likely to get the nod, and he has the knack of getting into good goalscoring positions.

Aston Villa have struggled to hit the target this season and are yet to find the back of the net in the PL. They've already lost at the GTech, and confidence is fairly low in the final third. Nevertheless, Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott could both be unleashed for this game, and it surely won't be long until Unai Emery's side finds their groove. Although they've struggled for firepower, they have been relatively robust and may be able to restrict the hosts for long periods of this game.

At 5/2, Fabio Carvalho is worth backing to score anytime. He will look to grab his opportunity and has looked sharp and motivated.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Grimsby - Mariners to capitalise on Wednesday's woes

Tuesday, 19:45

Sheffield Wednesday have shown plenty of fighting spirit and character this season with the Owls earning a battling point against Wrexham and ousting Yorkshire rivals Leeds United from this competition in the previous round. Nevertheless, the frantic schedule may be starting to catch up with the Owls' small and inexperienced squad. They failed to register a shot on target at the weekend against Bristol City and have drawn consecutive blanks with a combined xG of just 1.28.

Their sole transfer deadline day addition Harry Amass hobbled off at the weekend and although Nathaniel Chalobah and Di'Shon Bernard are both due to back from injury, this game is likely to come too soon. The Saturday-Tuesday turnaround is far from straightforward for experienced 25-man squads, and this is likely to take its toll on the struggling hosts.

Grimsby made the headlines with a 12-11 penalty shootout success against Manchester United in the previous round of the competition. This isn't the glamour tie that many of their fans were dreaming of; however, it is a winnable fixture, and they have a realistic chance of making the fourth round of the competition for the first time since 2001-02. They were a little frustrated at the weekend by Cambridge's robust tactics; however, they kept asking questions and eventually got their rewards.

They are averging 5.1 shots on target per game in L2, and have created more big chances than any other side. They will be full of confidence and are likely to name a relatively strong XI for this fixture on Tuesday night.

Crystal Palace vs Millwall - More tension than goalmouth action at Selhurst Park

Tuesday, 20:00

Crystal Palace and Millwall renew their rivalry in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, and there will be plenty of tension between the two London outfits. Their FA Cup meeting, a game which Palace won 3-1, was marred by the injury to Jean Philippe Mateta, who took a nasty blow to the head following an ill-advised challenge from Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts. Although that incident took place six months ago, there is still likely to be plenty of needle here.

This is Palace's first foray into the EFL Cup, having made their way through the Europa Conference League qualifiers. The Eagles are unbeaten in the Premier League so far, conceding just once across their opening four games. At the other end of the field, barring a 3-0 blitz of Aston Villa, they have looked a little goal-shy, although they created an xG of 1.77 at the weekend and took six shots on target. Oliver Glasner will make changes, especially with the Europa Conference League on the horizon. Will Hughes will replace Adam Wharton, and Nathaniel Clyne could also make an appearance.

Millwall are yet to lose on the road. Alex Neil's side came from a goal down to rescue a point on Saturday afternoon. The Scot was furious with his team's first-half performance, however, a quick reshuffle with an extra man coming into the middle completely changed the direction of travel. The visitors will be well-organised and will fight for every ball; however, without Casper de Norre, they are lacking a little x-factor in the middle of the park.

This game is unlikely to be a high-scoring affair, and it could be decided by a single goal.

Swansea vs Nottingham Forest - Highly entertaining Wednesday evening entertainment

Wednesday, 20:00

There's just one EFL Cup contest taking place on Wednesday evening, and it looks set to be a cracker. Swansea were expected to pick up maximum points at the weekend, yet they were left frustrated by Hull's late late show. Alan Sheehan's side have been defensively superb, especially in South Wales; however, this wasn't their finest hour, conceding an xG of 1.61 and allowing the Tigers six shots on target.

They have made changes for each of the two EFL Cup ties so far and have failed to keep a clean sheet in both of those games. One thing that has significantly shifted this season is Swansea's ability to create chances and score goals, something they struggled with at times last year. Ronald had his best performance in a Swansea shirt at the weekend, whilst loanee Malick Yalcouye also caught the eye.

Ange's first game in charge of Nottingham Forest was always likely to be a tough watch for the former Spurs boss, with the Tricky Trees easily swept aside by Arsenal at the Emirates. He's barely had time to get his feet under the table, and this will be a decent chance for the new boss to analyse some of his fringe players. James McAtee is likely to play some part with new signing Arnaud Kalimuendo, Douglas Luiz and Jair Cunha likely to get some minutes.

Forest could be vulnerable at the back, but with plenty of indiviudal talent in their squad and the new boys eager to impress the recently installed boss, they are highly unlikely to draw a blank. Although the likes of Anderson and MGW could be rested, Ange's penchant for silverware should result in a fairly strong XI, and that should result in an entertaining encounter.

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