Tottenham vs Brentford Odds & Pick EFL Cup Semifinals Jan 5

• It’s the first of the EFL Cup’s one-legged semifinals on Tuesday (January 5) when Brentford travel to Tottenham
• Both teams are fourth in their respective leagues, with Brentford hopeful of playing Spurs next season
• We list the odds, preview the game and offer some best bets here

The Bees of Brentford make the short journey from west to north London on Tuesday, January 5, KO 2:45 pm EST to play Tottenham in the semifinal of the English League Cup, also known as the Carabao Cup. Due to the covid-affected season, this is a one-off tie as opposed to the usual two-legged affair.

We list the odds below, preview the game, and offer the best bet.

Tottenham vs Brentford Odds

All odds taken Jan 4 at DraftKings

Spurs Emerge from Mini-Slump

Tottenham appears to have overcome the mini-slump that saw them drop out of the EPL’s top four, with their 3-0 home win over Leeds United at the weekend hauling them back into the title race. It was Spurs’ first league win since beating Arsenal in the North London derby back on December 6 and elevated them back into the top four. In the EFL Cup, Jose Mourinho’s team have had an odd journey in that they have reached the semifinal stage by playing three fewer games than their opponent’s Brentford.

Premier League clubs enter the competition later than their Championship counterparts and Spurs were handed a bye through to the third round when Leyton Orient was forced to withdraw from the competition due to multiple positive COVID tests within their camp. In their round-of-16 tie, Tottenham beat Chelsea after a penalty shoot-out, and in the quarterfinal, they made light work of what looked like a tricky away tie in Stoke to win 3-1.

Starting 2021 in style! 👌@KumhoTyreUK ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/nmtlIOWj0x

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 3, 2021

Brentford With EPL in Their Sights

Brentford, whose fine first half of the Championship campaign has taken them into the heart of the promotion battle, have had an outstanding EFL Cup so far and have taken four Premier League scalps on the way to the semifinal. Southampton, West Brom, Fulham and Newcastle have all been beaten by Thomas Frank’s Bees who, as a result, will not be phased at all by taking on one of English soccer’s big six’ for a place in a Wembley final.

🗣 @joshdasilva_ has been chatting to the press ahead of tomorrow's @Carabao_Cup clash#BrentfordFC #TOTBRE pic.twitter.com/MqKoVOmL8Q

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 4, 2021

We have to go back to October 24 to find the Bees’ last defeat in any competition, a run of 15 unbeaten games, and last time out they beat promotion rivals Bournemouth. Also worth noting is they had a free weekend after their scheduled game with Bristol City was postponed, and so will be in theory be fresher than Spurs, whose game with Leeds was on Saturday.

The last time these two met in a cup competition was in the 2000-01 League Cup second-round, when they drew 0-0 draw in the first leg in Brentford before Tottenham sealed the win with a 2-0 win at White Hart Lane one week later.

Tottenham vs Brentford Head-to-Head Stats

Mourinho Expected to Name a Strong Team

Mourinho is expected to name a strong team for this game but still has a juggling act to perform in terms of personnel as he is without some key figures through injury, including Giovani Lo Celso and Gareth Bale. There is also a question mark over Erik Lamela who was found to have broken COVID protocols over the Christmas period. Mourinho will also be without right-back Matt Doherty who is suspended after picking up a red card in the Leeds game.

A 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗘 game with Brentford up next…

🎙 What the boss had to say ahead of our Carabao Cup semi-final ⤵️ #THFC ⚪️ #COYS

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 4, 2021

Frank has fewer major injuries to contend with but, by the same score, does not have the same squad rotation options as Mourinho. Only long-term absentees Mads Roerslev and Shandon Baptiste look likely to be unavailable for selection for Brentford.

𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚃𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚑𝚊𝚖#BrentfordFC #TOTBRE pic.twitter.com/vRC1BC8mOB

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 3, 2021

Brentford In It To Win It

While this one may appear nailed on as a home win, and certainly does present Spurs with a great chance to make their first domestic final since 2015, there is something special about this Brentford team; one that could conceivably be playing Premier League football next season.

So, while the odds heavily favor Tottenham, the chance for Brentford to perform on the big stage in one of the finest arenas in world soccer will surely inspire them. Frank is a very shrewd tactical operator and will ensure the Bees ask questions of Tottenham. Make no mistake, this will tight and, for me, there is value in betting on the score being tied after 90 minutes.

Pick: Spurs and Brentford to be tied after 90  minutes ( Draw +350)