The Carabao Cup third round sees the top Premier League teams enter, and Tom Carnduff has two best bets in his outright preview.
Football betting tips: Carabao Cup
1pt e.w. Manchester United to win the Carabao Cup at 16/1 (Betway 1/2 1,2)
1pt e.w. West Ham to win the Carabao Cup at 33/1 (Betway 1/2 1,2)
As is the case with the large majority of football this season, the winter World Cup has played havoc with the domestic schedule and the Carabao Cup is no exception.
England's second cup competition is often viewed as a distraction by many, and its importance has been increasingly called into question given the inflated and more congested calendar.
Qatar 2022 should result in even more rotation than usual in the Carabao Cup, and the timing of the rounds may also give some teams a serious advantage over others.
Here's the pinch point. The World Cup final takes place on Sunday December 18 - the Carabao Cup fourth round is scheduled to be played in the week commencing December 19.
That's right, some teams will be playing domestically just days after the biggest game in football. There is no chance anyone involved in the final in Qatar will be playing in this competition, and you could even say the same for those featuring in the last four because of the third-place play-off.
Of course, while we can make predictions about who we think will win the World Cup, we can't know for sure who will be there, but squads will be considerable weaker if they possess those talented individuals expected to go deep in the tournament.
Due to this scheduling, we could make a strong case that the fourth round is the most pivotal of this season's Carabao Cup. That can help us when it comes to picking out a potential winner.
Schedule not kind to Guardiola's City
As you'd expect, Manchester City are 3/1 favourites across the board. They failed in their quest to yet again win this trophy last season, but we know how vital they see it in their quest for success.
Their squad full of brilliant players, but this is where the problems come in for them this season.
England make the semi-finals? That's John Stones, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and quite possibly according to recent reports Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips all out of fourth-round contention. Spain sees no Aymetic Laporte, Rodri and potentially Sergio Gomez.
Portugal go far and Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva are all missing. This is all hypothetical of course, but it's definitely something we need to factor in if City see off Chelsea - and a potential tough draw on the back of that.
Ultimately, this is a stacked squad that is the envy of world football. They always have talented solutions to problems, but there's little appeal in getting involved at such short prices.
They have the potential to win this, as you'd expect, but looking around the Premier League delivers better value.
Keep focus on Manchester though
While we're not interested in getting involved with City, there is a case to be made for having an each-way play on MANCHESTER UNITED TO WIN THE CARABAO CUP at 16/1.
The Old Trafford club have been without major silverware since winning the Europa League just a few months after clinching this competition under Jose Mourinho in 2016/17. They beat Southampton in the final that year - Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted a brace.
Following a mixed start to the campaign, United have really started to adapt to life under Erik ten Hag's guidance and they have a serious chance of being in the top-four come that World Cup break.
From their perspective, this should be viewed as a very winnable competition. Trophies would have been on ten Hag's itinerary when he took the job and this is the best way to tick that box.
We also know that, from his time at Ajax, the cup competitions weren't viewed as a distraction but an opportunity to keep the winning culture going.
In his four full seasons at the helm, Ajax won the KNVB Cup twice, while also being runners-up and their worst performance being a semi-final exit in 2019/20.
Granted, that tournament is more comparable with the FA Cup but it's a nice tournament to target and the decent rotation options now available to United give them a squad capable of competing.
It feels like one of those players who is a likely starter for this competition is Cristiano Ronaldo, with emphasis likely to be placed more on Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in the Premier League.
While we can question his impact on this side, and whether or not it's a positive, we can be confident that he will bring goals and should have a strong enough of a supporting cast to progress far in this tournament.
We can also be confident that they will have some good options available at the fourth round point, given the expected XI utilised in the Carabao Cup.
Hammers can bring it home
Focusing more on one outsider now, and a team who did well last season but were unlucky to some extent to be eliminated in the quarter-finals.
WEST HAM were the ones to end Manchester City's period of dominance by beating them in the fourth round in 21/22, and it's worth an each-way play on their 33/1 best price to win the competition this time around.
The draw was far from kind to the Hammers last season but they did well to progress as far as they did.
David Moyes' side beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in round three, saw off City on penalties in the fourth round and had more opportunities to score despite a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the quarters.
As expected, they rotated in those games too, with the biggest changes coming in the four forward positions. It's fair to say that area of the pitch is much stronger this time around.
West Ham's forward line against City in the fourth round saw an attacking midfield trio of Nikola Vlašić, Manuel Lanzini and Arthur Masuaku, with Andriy Yarmolenko the sole centre forward.
Three of those four aren't playing for the club this season. It means that we're likely to see an improved rotation line of Lucas Paquetá, Maxwel Cornet and Pablo Fornals or Lanzini, with one of Gianluca Scamacca or Michail Antonio leading the line.
Of course, there are also strong options in Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma to play where required, while Emerson can provide a threat further forward alongside an emerging talent in Flynn Downes.
They've seen the much-needed improvement in that area of the pitch and it can pay off in tournaments such as this. They also shouldn't have too many problems with players expected to feature in the latter stages of the World Cup.
It's a team boasting strong underlying defensive numbers, while they have also established themselves as a powerful team on set-piece situations - that applies at both ends of the pitch.
It's a home tie against Sky Bet Championship outfit Blackburn in the third round. Here's hoping that the draw isn't as harsh on them this time around.
ALSO READ: World Cup 2022 | All you need to know
Odds correct at 1145 BST (02/11/22)
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FAQs
Who is favorite to win carabao Cup? ›
MANCHESTER UNITED are the odds-on favourites to win this season's Carabao Cup.
Who is Favourite for carabao Cup Final 2022? ›Carabao Cup 2022-23: 3 Reasons Why Manchester United Are Favourites To Qualify For The Finals. In the second leg of the semi-finals between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, the home team in the form of Manchester United would be sheer favourites to win.
Who are favourites to win League Cup? ›What are the Odds on the English Football League Cup Outright Winner 2022/23 ? The English Football League Cup Outright Winner 2022/23 favourites are: Man Utd, Newcastle.
Who is the best Premier League team ever? ›Seven clubs have won the Premier League: Manchester United (13 times), Manchester City (six times), Chelsea (five times), Arsenal (three times), Blackburn Rovers (once), Leicester City (once) and Liverpool (once).
Who is Favourite Champions League final? ›Real Madrid is the defending Champions League title holder. Still, sportsbooks have placed Manchester City (+140), Bayern Munich (+700), Liverpool (+900), and PSG (+900) as the top four favorites to win the UCL final in 2023.
Who got man of the match in Carabao Cup? ›...
Awards won by club.
| Club | Win(s) | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Swansea City | 1 | 2013 |
AWAY GOALS: They only count after extra-time in the #EFLCup.
What are Spurs odds to win a cup? ›Tottenham odds to win a trophy this season
Spurs are 5/1 to win the Carabao Cup and have the same odds in the Europa Conference League that sees them joint-favourites with Jose Mourinho's Roma.
ARSENAL remain favourites to win the Premier League.
That's according to bookmakers Betfair, who've made Mikel Arteta's leader leaders the 8-13 favourites to lift the ultimate prize.
Since the League began in 1992, there have been seven different winners: Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City and Liverpool.
Which team has beaten Man City the most in the Premier League? ›
Arsenal have also defeated Manchester City in league competition on 87 occasions, which represents the most Manchester City have lost against any club.
Who is the world best player? ›#1. Lionel Messi (PSG & Argentina) (Total Football Goals: 804) 18 Dec. 2022. Lionel Messi, playing in his 2nd Football World Cup final, won against Mbappe and France.
Who is the best 7 in Premier League? ›7 is one of the most iconic shirt numbers in English football. From George Best to Kenny Dalglish to Eric Cantona to David Beckham… some of the most iconic attacking players England has ever seen have worn the number seven on their backs. And now also Joao Cancelo, a full-back.
Who has the loudest fans in England? ›| Team | Noisiest home fans | Noisiest away fans |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 1st | 1st |
| Newcastle | 2nd | 2nd |
| Crystal Palace | 3rd | 5th |
| Manchester United | 4th | 3rd |
A Green Bay Packers fan base leads all NFL fan bases as of 2022, followed by the Patriots, Cowboys, the Eagles, and a Steeler fan base. Most NFL fans would agree with this result, with the Eagles possibly being an exception.
Who has the biggest fan base in the world? ›ARMY - BTS Fandom
The ARMY is the most powerful fandom in the world. Because it brought an end to the long reigning 'beliebers' group (fans of Justin Beiber). The reason why the ARMY came to be so popular is the short climb of BTS in being the first K-Pop group to win a place in the Billboards 200 Chart.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the top scorer of all time in the Champions League and UEFA club competition as well as the most prolific in the history of senior international football.
Who is the king of the Champions League? ›Cristiano Ronaldo leads the UEFA Champions League in all-time goals scored, scoring a total of 141 goals.
Who is the most successful player in Champions League? ›Ronaldo was the first player to win five UEFA Champions League titles, having first lifted the trophy with Manchester United in 2008 before adding further triumphs with Real Madrid in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
How can I watch Carabao Cup in USA? ›ESPN has secured the rights to broadcast the Carabao Cup in the US with most of the games being exclusively streamed on ESPN+.
What is the meaning of Carabao? ›
(ˌkærəˈbeɪəʊ ) nounWord forms: plural -os. another name for water buffalo.
Who was man of the match Liverpool Chelsea? ›Player of the match: Thiago Silva.
Do away goals matter Carabao Cup? ›Do away goals count in the Carabao Cup semis? To start: no, away goals do not count as a tiebreaker in the League Cup semifinals according to the tournament rules. That means if the aggregate scoreline is level at the end of regulation of the second leg, there is no away goals tiebreaker that's applied.
Can the Carabao Cup end in a tie? ›Will there be extra time and penalties in Carabao Cup semi final ties? Until this stage of the competition there have been no extra time or penalties in the Carabao Cup, matches that have ended in a draw have gone straight to penalty kicks.
Do you get Europe if you win Carabao Cup? ›Yes, the winners of the Carabao Cup will automatically qualify for a place in the Europa Conference League play-off round. Previously, the winner would compete in the Europa League, however the rule was changed following the introduction of the third-tier competition in the 2020-21 campaign.
Who are Spurs biggest rival? ›The North London derby is the meeting of the association football clubs Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, both of which are based in North London, England. Fans of both clubs consider the other to be their main rivals, and the derby is considered by many to be one of the fiercest derbies in the world.
What are the easiest football bets to win? ›- BTTS: BTTS bet demands the punters to predict if both teams will score a goal or not. ...
- Over/Under: This bet can work in your favor when you have chosen a smaller figure as reference. ...
- Double chance bet: In this bet, you win money when any two from the three outcomes are obtained.
- Arsenal @ 8/11.
- Manchester City @ 11/8.
- Manchester United @ 16/1.
- Newcastle United @ 100/1.
- 250/1 bar.
If you are betting on a longshot NFL futures bet at odds of 40/1 (these fractional odds convert to +4000 in American odds; decimal odds of 41.00), your implied chance of success is 2%.
Who is the best striker in Premier League this season? ›Premier League's Top Strikers Ahead of the 2022/23 Season
The Norwegian, Erling Haaland, comes to the Premier League with an enviable scoring record from his time with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, with whom he scored 87 goals in 90 games.
Has any team won the Premier League without losing a game? ›
After Arsenal became the only team to finish a 38-match season unbeaten, the Premier League commissioned a unique gold trophy to commemorate the achievement. Arsène Wenger was presented the trophy as a parting gift from the club after his last home game as manager on 6 May 2018.
Who is the most successful football club in England? ›Manchester United have won the most top division titles, 20. The English equivalent of the super cup began in 1898 with the inauguration of the Sheriff of London Charity Shield, pitting the best professional and amateur sides of the year against each other.
Who is the most relegated team in English football? ›Brighton & Hove Albion have had only, until 2017, one brief spell in the top flight of English football, from 1979 to 1983, but in the 53 years since 1958 they have been relegated nine times and promoted 10 times.
Who are Favourites Liverpool or Madrid? ›Liverpool is the -102 favorite (risk $102 to win $100) on the 90-minute money line in the latest Liverpool vs. Real Madrid odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Real Madrid is the +260 underdog, while a 90-minute draw returns +270.
Who will win EFL Cup 2022? ›Manchester City have won four of the last five EFL Cups and are the favorites going into the 2022/23 campaign. Liverpool have pushed them close in the Premier League in recent years, and are the holders in this competition – the Reds are second in the betting.
Who is Favourite for Chelsea Liverpool? ›Chelsea vs. Liverpool money line: Chelsea +265, Liverpool +105, Draw +255.
What are the odds for Chelsea vs Liverpool Carabao Cup? ›Chelsea vs. Liverpool money line: Liverpool +118, Chelsea +250, Draw +225. CHL: Chelsea put 42 percent of its shots on net (37 of 88) in the knockout stage.
Who is Liverpool's biggest rival? ›Despite this, Liverpool versus Manchester United is widely thought to be one of the biggest and most famous rivalries in football history. Read on here to find out why. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century, Manchester and Liverpool were both thriving in the North West of England.
Who has beaten Liverpool the most times? ›Manchester United have recorded the most league victories over Liverpool, with 69 wins.
Who is Liverpool's best player ever? ›- Roger Hunt.
- Virgil van Dijk.
- Ian Rush.
- John Barnes.
- Luis Suarez.
- Mohamed Salah.
- Steven Gerrard.
- Kenny Dalglish.
Do away goals count in Carabao Cup 2022? ›
To start: no, away goals do not count as a tiebreaker in the League Cup semifinals according to the tournament rules. That means if the aggregate scoreline is level at the end of regulation of the second leg, there is no away goals tiebreaker that's applied.
Who is the best team in the EFL Championship? ›EFL Championship 2022/23 League
The club which is top of the league currently is Burnley, with 62 points from 28 matches played. The team that is currently top of the Infogol EFL Championship Expected League Table is Middlesbrough. Currently top of the Infogol EFL Championship Forecast Table is Burnley.
The side has lost more league games to Liverpool than to any other club, having been defeated by them 70 times in 156 encounters.
Who is Chelsea's best attacker? ›1. Didier Drogba. Didier Drogba will go down in history as one of Chelsea's best ever players following an outstanding career at Stamford Bridge. After signing from Marseille in 2004, Drogba scored 164 goals in all competitions for the Blues and won 12 major honours during his two spells at the club.
Who is the greatest Chelsea legend? ›Lampard netted 211 goals for Chelsea during his 11 years at the club. He quite rightly goes down as the greatest Chelsea player in the Premier League era.
Who is Chelsea biggest rivalry? ›Only Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham are from London, meaning that Chelsea have built up more of a rivalry with clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool.
Is Chelsea stronger than Liverpool? ›To Chelsea's five league titles, Liverpool boast 18; to Chelsea's one Champions League, Liverpool have five. Where Chelsea have the advantage is that they are the only English club to have won every European club trophy: the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Europa League/UEFA Cup, Super Cup and Champions League/European Cup.
Who are Chelsea's enemies? ›Chelsea F.C.–Tottenham Hotspur F.C. rivalry – is a rivalry dating back to their first meeting in 1909, between West London Chelsea and North London Tottenham Hotspur. They've played each other just over 160 times.