Leicester City vs Aston Villa EFL Cup Semifinals Leg 1 Odds & Pick
- On Wednesday, January 8th, Leicester City play host to Aston Villa in the League Cup semifinals at 3:00 pm EST
- This match is the first leg out of two, with the second half taking place on the 28th of January at Villa Park
- Currently, Leicester are the favorites with a moneyline of -270
Leicester City have proved again this year why they are one of the best teams in all of England. Sitting at 45 points in the Premier League, gives them bragging rights in second place, being one point ahead of back-to-back champions Manchester City.
The Foxes made it this far by defeating Everton at Goodison Park on penalty kicks. Meanwhile, the only reason Aston Villa is this far in the tournament is because they had the luxury of drawing Liverpool while they were away at the Club World Cup. This means they got to batter their academy side by five goals to nil.
Leicester City vs Aston Villa Odds
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester City | -1, -1 ½ (-121) | -270 | Over 3 (-105) |
| Aston Villa | +1, +1 ½ (+101) | +600 | Under 3 (-115) |
| Draw | N/A | +370 | N/A |
Odds taken Jan. 6.
Leicester’s Attack to Capitalize on Weak Defense
This game should be very interesting and the two sides just competed against one another on December 8th, with Leicester taking three points at home after a 4-1 win that saw Jamie Vardy score a brace. Villa have been on mixed form all season, just barely out of the relegation zone by a measly point, after a 2-1 win against Burnley.
Leicester has had hiccups as of late drawing against Everton while losing to Manchester City and Liverpool. Nonetheless, they have won their last three games by an aggregated score of 7-1.
Leicester played a weakened side in their FA Cup match against Wigan this weekend, which should see stars like Jamie Vardy and James Maddison come back into the pack this week for a big semifinal. Expect Leicester to score at least a few goals, considering Aston Villa have conceded 37 in the Premier League alone this season, the third-worst mark of all teams.
Aston Villa do have a couple of bright spots nonetheless with the likes of Jack Grealish and John McGinn. If Villa does manage to score, expect Grealish to be the one behind the ball, just like in the earlier fixture.
Leicester City vs Aston Villa Statistics
| 2nd (45 Points) | Standing in Premier League | 17th (21 Points) |
| 2.2 | Goals per game | 1.3 |
| 14.1 | Shots per game | 12.8 |
| 54.8% | Average Possession % | 46.4% |
Best Bet
The best bet for this match is to go with the spread on Leicester at (-121). It is easy to predict that Leicester will win the game given their past history with Villa, and their current form. However, there is not much value in betting the outright win at -270.
Leicester are far more than capable of winning the match by two goals against a very shaky defense in Villa. The game is also at the King Power Stadium, which should give Brendan Rodgers’ side a massive advantage in the match. After faltering too much in the league, this could be their only shot at silverware this season, so expect them to go all out for it.
Pick: Leicester -1, -1 ½ (-121)
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.
