EFL Cup Quarterfinals Odds & Picks Dec 22: Brentford vs Newcastle & Arsenal vs Man City
- The quarterfinals of the EFL Cup begins on Tuesday, with all eight teams in action
- Championship side Brentford hosts Newcastle, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal welcome Manchester City to the Emirates
- Get the full odds for both of these fixtures with previews and best bets below
The EFL Cup, also known as the League Cup, resumes this week, with two intriguing clashes scheduled for Tuesday. Brentford will take on Newcastle, while current champions of this competition, Manchester City, travel to North London to face a struggling Arsenal squad. It will be short rest for all four of these sides, having all played league fixtures over the weekend.
Brentford vs Newcastle EFL Cup Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentford vs Newcastle | BRE pk (-130) | NEW pk (+108) | BRE +146 | NEW +190 | DRAW +245 | Ov 2.5 (-112) | Un 2.5 (-109) |
Brentford vs Newcastle
The Bees will be looking to continue their impressive form when they take on the Magpies from Newcastle at Brentford Community Stadium this Tuesday. The hosts have been playing outstanding football as of late, stretching their unbeaten run in the Championship to 13 matches after beating Reading on Saturday. That leaves them fourth in the table and eight points off table-toppers Norwich City.
As for this competition, Brentford took care of business in the Round of 16 back in early October, burying Premier League newcomers Fulham by a 3-0 scoreline thanks to Said Benrahma’s double. Just two weeks later, the vibrant attacker was gone, joining West Ham.
However, his absence has been filled up top by the remarkable form of striker Ivan Toney, who leads the Championship with 16 goals. He’s yet to score in the EFL Cup through two appearances but will be a player to watch for Thomas Frank’s side against Newcastle. If Brentford can grab a victory here, it will be the first time in club history they reach the semifinals of the League Cup.
Despite going winless in their last two Premier League meetings, the Magpies will be keen to find a result against the Bees on Tuesday. Steve Bruce’s men find themselves in a respectable position in England’s top flight, for the time being, sitting in 12th place. Last time out, Newcastle tied Fulham 1-1 after Callum Wilson equalized from the spot.
The former Bournemouth star is enjoying life at St. James Park, already bagging eight goals. The Magpies advanced to the quarterfinals after narrowly beating fourth-tier side Newport County in penalty kicks. To say the least, it wasn’t a convincing win and it won’t get any easier against a quality Brentford side.
The Bees have already beaten three other Premier League outfits in this competition in West Brom, Southampton, and Fulham. Newcastle would be the fourth and you better believe they will be heading into this massive clash with the utmost confidence. Given how well they’re playing lately, I like them as the winners here even though Newcastle did beat them in their last meeting almost four years ago. Nevertheless, a one-goal victory for Brentford is a safe bet.
Pick: Brentford +146
Arsenal vs Manchester City EFL Cup Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal vs Manchester City | ARS +1 (-120) | MCI -1 (+100) | ARS +400 | MCI -152 | DRAW +350 | Ov 2.5 (-215) | Un 2.5 (+170) |
Arsenal vs Manchester City
It simply won’t get any easier for Arsenal as they face another daunting task in Manchester City. Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have endured the worst start to a Premier League season in a very long time, collecting just 14 points from 14 games. That leaves them currently 15th in the table. Arsenal hasn’t won a domestic fixture since November 1st when they beat Manchester United.
It was another defeat for the North Londoners on the weekend, losing 2-1 to Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton. However, they did beat City last season in the FA Cup semifinals and then went on to beat Chelsea in the final. Arsenal did pull off an impressive upset in the last round of the EFL Cup though, knocking out Liverpool in penalties.
Pep Guardiola’s squad has hit a nice spell of form after a slow start. They’re unbeaten in their last eight competitive fixtures, conceding just one goal during that span. A slim 1-0 win over Southampton on Saturday helped the Citizens progress up the Premier League table, currently sitting in seventh.
They have been the kings of this competition in recent memory. City hasn’t lost a game in the EFL Cup since October of 2016 and have also lifted the trophy in the last three consecutive years. It was smooth sailing for the Premier League giants in the last round, thrashing Burnley 3-0.
The last time these two sides locked horns was in mid-October, with Man City taking away three points in a 1-0 win. The Gunners have been playing such poor football lately that a turn in their form could be right around the corner. I do think that is the case because there is quality in this side. However, I don’t see it happening against a team like City who is dominating every opponent right now. The visitors are a safe bet here, winning by two goals.
Pick: Manchester City -162
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
