Stoke vs Tottenham (Wednesday, 17:30)
Recent results suggest Tottenham may not have what it takes to forge a serious title charge this term but they will be looking for a much-needed shot in the arm when they head to Stoke for a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash on Wednesday evening.
Spurs tasted defeat for the second time in four days when crashing to a 2-0 loss at home to Leicester last Sunday and those setbacks have done little to strengthen talk of title aspirations.
However, Jose Mourinho has a great record in the League Cup and the self-proclaimed “Special One” will know that this competition represents a terrific opportunity to bring Tottenham's 13-year trophy drought to an end.
Standing in Spurs' way on Wednesday evening is Stoke City side who made a quietly impressive start to the season under the tutelage of Michael O'Neil.
The Potters' currently occupy the seventh position in the English Championship and they have already claimed the scalps of Premier League duo Aston Villa and Wolves in the EFL Cup this season.
However, Tottenham will be a tougher nut to crack but there is little value in backing the visitors at a general 8/15 so instead, I'll head to the Bet Builder market to get a bigger price.
If we combine Tottenham to qualify, over zero Stoke cards and over one match card we will be presented with a backable 4/5 punt with Bet 365.
Mourinho has some serious firepower at his disposal and even if the Portuguese shuffles his pack here I suspect Spurs will have enough in reverse to put Stoke to the sword and seal a place in the semi-final stage.
The capital club looks a different proposition under Mourinho this season where they have done most of their good work away from home, losing only two of their 12 road trips so far.
With that in mind, I'm happy to back Spurs to qualify but I'll also add in at least one Stoke card and two or more match cards to the above-mentioned Bet Builder.
Stoke are averaging 1.85 cautions per game this term – the third-highest tally in the second-tier – and referee Darren England is averaging 3.2 bookings per 90 minutes this season, with the whistler flashing at least two cards in each of the last seven fixtures he has taken charge of.
Recommended Bet
- Tottenham To Qualify, Over 0 Stoke Cards & Over 1 Match Card – Bet Builder – 4/5 (Bet 365)
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I’m hoping to see Tottenham Hotspur win this game by 2-1 by Everton
Just a note of caution that the referee for this game is a championship referee and they tend to be more lenient with fouls than Premiership referees.