EFL Cup Round of 16 Odds & Predictions – Sept 30/Oct 1
- The EFL Cup Round of 16 features eight matches taking place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week
- Arsenal get to play at Anfield for the second time this week as they play Liverpool while defending champions Manchester City play away at Turf Moor
- Another exciting match is Fulham away at Brentford, a rematch of the EFL Championship Playoff Final, which finished 2-1 in favor to Fulham at Wembley Stadium
The EFL Cup is one tournament that might be belittled by some of England’s bigger sides. Nonetheless, for everyone else the competition resembles a serious chance at winning silverware playing against some of England’s best. For Newport County, they are playing up three entire leagues as they host Newcastle on Wednesday night, and will surely leave it all out on the pitch. Aside from two other inter-league matches, the four other EFL Cup fixtures are actually between Premier League sides. The lone match on Tuesday sees Tottenham hosting Chelsea.
Manchester City have managed to win the EFL Cup five out of the last six years and have won three consecutively. After a loss against Leicester City at home in the Premier League, they will have a bounce back against Burnley. Meanwhile, red hot Everton play West Ham, and a struggling Manchester United are forced to play Brighton, after almost slipping at the Amex this weekend. With all of these fascinating fixtures, we are in for a few days of scintillating football.
EFL Cup Round of 16 Odds – Sept 30/Oct 1
| Team | Spread | Moneyline Odds | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport County | +1 (+112) | +625 | O 2.5 (-165) |
| Newcastle | -1 (-139) | -225 | U 2.5 (+130) |
| Draw | N/A | +350 | N/A |
| Team | Spread | Moneyline Odds | Total |
| Burnley | +1 (+140) | +700 | O 2.5 (-190) |
| Manchester City | -1 (-177) | -265 | U 2.5 (+150) |
| Draw | N/A | +400 | N/A |
| Team | Spread | Moneyline Odds | Total |
| Everton | -1 (+128) | -139 | O 2.5 (-141) |
| West Ham | +1 (-159) | +355 | U 2.5 (+114) |
| Draw | N/A | +300 | N/A |
| Team | Spread | Moneyline Odds | Total |
| Brighton | +0.5 (-104) | +325 | O 2.5 (-121) |
| Manchester United | -0.5 (-121) | -118 | U 2.5 (-104) |
| Draw | N/A | +265 | N/A |
| Team | Spread | Moneyline Odds | Total |
| Brentford | pk (-143) | +140 | O 2.5 (+104) |
| Fulham | pk (+115) | +200 | U 2.5 (-129) |
| Draw | N/A | +235 | N/A |
| Team | Spread | Moneyline Odds | Total |
| Aston Villa | -1 (+125) | -143 | O 2.5 (-134) |
| Stoke City | +1 (-155) | +375 | U 2.5 (+108) |
| Draw | N/A | +295 | N/A |
| Team | Spread | Moneyline Odds | Total |
| Liverpool | -0.5 (+100) | +105 | O 3.5 (+163) |
| Arsenal | +0.5 (-132) | +235 | U 3.5 (-225) |
| Draw | N/A | +280 | N/A |
All odds taken Sept 28 at DraftKings
EFL Cup Round of 16 Pick 1: Brentford vs Fulham
Arguably one of the more anticipated matchups of this EFL Cup round is between Brentford and Fulham. These two sides fought for 120 minutes in a promotion final that saw Fulham go back up to the Premier League. However, Fulham seems to be suffering from the yo-yo effect.
Going up and down so often is just not positive in terms of building a direction for a club. Consequently, Fulham have been dreadful in their first three Premier League games, conceding ten goals and only scoring three. Brentford have won their last two including an EFL Cup win against Southampton. While they lost Ollie Watkins, they brought in forward Ivan Toney, who will punish Fulham in this game and secure a victory for the Bees.
Pick: Brentford moneyline (+140)
EFL Cup Round of 16 Pick 2: Aston Villa vs Stoke City
Aston Villa versus Stoke City is another intriguing match that will test a strong Aston Villa side. Jack Grealish and company have had a positive start this year after narrowing escaping relegation in the reverse campaign. Villa have won their last four matches, managing to score ten goals in the same stretch.
What a performance, great result!! Win ✅ Goal ✅ #AVFC pic.twitter.com/LV2vlmiu26
— Jack Grealish (@JackGrealish) September 28, 2020
However, Stoke likes to keep things tight, which is why this EFL Cup tie will be closer than most people think. In Stoke’s last five games, the goal total for both teams was a measly five. Michael O’Neill will probably put his men behind the ball in this one and keep it a very low scoring game.
Pick: Under 2.5 total goals (+108)
EFL Cup Round of 16 Pick 3: Liverpool vs Arsenal
When the oddsmakers give you plus odds on Liverpool winning, take it! Sure, Jurgen Klopp has not taken this competition seriously in years prior, and Liverpool have a Premier League match on Sunday to save legs for. But, they played Arsenal on Monday night and ran circles around them. The Reds held a high line, restricting the speed of the Arsenal front line, and with their ability to win second balls, it was suffocating for Arsenal.
In this EFL Cup tie, expect a rotated side from both managers. The issue here is that Liverpool’s bench has so much quality. As we saw on Monday, Diogo Jota came in and made waves for Liverpool on offense, and Liverpool will be able to do that with about seven or eight substitutes. Let’s not forget Jurgen played the academy in the EFL Cup against Arsenal last year and won 5-4 on penalties, after a 5-5 thriller.
Pick: Liverpool moneyline (+105)
Josh Ricker is a freelance sports journalist, currently attending the University of Southern Maine (Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and Marketing). He has recently interned with the AA Portland Sea Dogs, and his work has been featured on Fansided, as well as now here on SBD.
