Cardiff v Chelsea: Premier League side to progress but 4/1 Bluebird worth backing | OneFootball

EFL Cup

Cardiff v Chelsea Carabao Cup match preview and best bets

Paul Higham is expecting Chelsea to make progress from their Carabao Cup quarter-final at Cardiff, but has a 4/1 Bluebirds goalscorer worth backing.

Cardiff City v ChelseaTuesday December 16, 20:00 kick-offLive on Sky Sports Football

Confidence must be high in the Cardiff City camp, sitting top of League One and with six wins in seven they can have a free hit at just their third League Cup quarter-final - and first since they reached the final in 2012.

The Bluebirds are whopping 11/1 shots though as 1/5 Chelsea have won their last five quarter-final ties in the competition and past 18 League Cup meetings against lower league sides.

And even despite Enzo Maresca's bizzare rant after Saturday's win over Everton, that success ended a four-game winless run just in time for what could be a tricky trip to the Welsh capital and what should be a decent atmosphere at the Cardiff City Stadium.

It is just one win in five away games for Chelsea though including defeats at Leeds and Atalanta and a draw at Qarabag, while they had to come from behind to beat Lincoln away in the third round of this competition, so it may not all be smooth sailing for the visitors, especially if Maresca makes major changes.

Obviously Chelsea should get through, but Maresca will make some changes and Cardiff do bring a goal threat as League One's top scorers - while seven of their past eight has seen over 2.5 goals and five of the past six home games have seen both teams scorer.

It's 1/1 on both teams to score on Tuesday night, which looks a decent price but coupling it with the expected Chelsea win seems the pick for the outright result.

Select Salech to score for Cardiff

Guessing the Chelsea line-up could be tricky - Moises Caicedo has been suspended for three games so might get a run-out, and if he starts then he's 11/2 to score anytime and he'll be keen to make his mark after his absence.

Going on the previous Carabao Cup line-ups, the likes of Jamie Gittens, Tyrique George and Facundo Buonanotte will get anther chance - and all three have scored in the competition so far.

Buonanotte is 15/8, Gittens 21/10 and George 5/4 in the anytime goalscorer market - George has scored in both rounds so far so he'd be the man to back here, again providing he's on the teamsheet.

For Cardiff, Danish forward Yousef Salech is the main attacking threat with 11 goals this season, including one in the last round against Wrexham and three goals scored across his last three outings.

Salech is 4/1 anytime goalscorer and if we're backing Cardiff to find the net then he has to be the pick.

Recommended bets

Back Chelsea to win and both teams to score @ 15/8

Back Yousef Salech anytime scorer @ 4/1