The football season in England kicks off with the traditional first round of the EFL Cup and a total of 33 clashes this coming week.
The opening fixtures are often the most closely contested due to the relatively similar standard of the teams, which offers opportunities for bets at high odds and upset value picks.
Middlesbrough vs Wrexham (Friday, 20:00)
Both Middlesbrough and Wrexham came within a whisker of promotion to the Premier League and are certainly regretting their mistakes at the end of the season.
They played each other in the penultimate round, with the match ending 2–2, and in October last year, they drew 1–1 as well.
Pre-season friendlies can’t give us all the answers, but I can say that I watched all four of Wrexham’s pre-season matches live, as well as Middlesbrough’s last two.
Right now, I reckon the Red Dragons are in much better form and are unfairly such significant underdogs in this fixture.
I believe we’ll see a hard-fought clash with goals at both ends, and my main bet is on Both Teams to Score. But I definitely think Wrexham could also pull off one of the upsets of the round.
- Middlesbrough vs Wrexham Best Bet: BTTS – 1.70
- Upset value pick: Wrexham to qualify – 8/5
Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton (Saturday, 15:00)
This is an interesting matchup, because Sheffield and Bolton met at the same stage of the EFL Cup last season too. Back then, the Blue and White Wizards triumphed after penalties, but I have to highlight that Bolton had a red card from the 27th minute and still came from behind twice for 3-3 in regulation.
This time, I believe they will eliminate Wednesday, who pretty much crushed every anti-record in Championship history with their horrendous campaign last season. Now, their places are reversed, as Bolton got promoted to the Championship, while Sheffield Wednesday will play in League One.
From what I've seen so far during the pre-season, Bolton looked very promising, while their opponents struggled in four out of their five friendlies. With this said, I believe that the 17/20 odds are a gift, and I will back Bolton to win.
- Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton Best Bet: Bolton to win – 17/20
West Ham vs Portsmouth (Saturday, 15:00)
West Ham and Portsmouth last met in 2012 but will face off at least three times this season, as they will both play in the Championship.
This match will serve as a small preview of what we can expect later in the season. Unfortunately for Portsmouth, the gap in class is significant. Not that they can't achieve the upset, but the Hammers managed to keep most of their squad, and they didn't look too bad during the pre-season so far.
I believe West Ham will have a fantastic season, and they have much to prove to their fans.
- West Ham vs Portsmouth Best Bet: West Ham & Over 2.5 goals – 19/20
Wycombe vs Stevenage (Friday, 19:45)
Wycombe had a fantastic run in the EFL Cup last season, reaching as far as the fourth round, when they even pushed Fulham to penalties, before getting eliminated.
Stevenage were nowhere to be seen at that point, after they got eliminated in the very first round from a weaker side.
Both sides reside in League One and have plenty of experience playing each other. After following their pre-season preparations, I was left more impressed with Wycombe, and I believe the 7/10 to qualify is worth a shot.
The Chairboys were fantastic at home last season and were averaging two goals scored per match. Stevenage finished higher in the end, but struggled on the road throughout most of the campaign, and also lost 3-1 at Adams Park in the most recent H2H.
- Wycombe vs Stevenage Best Bet: Wycombe to qualify – 7/10
Vladislav has been professionally engaged in freelance journalism for seven years and has worked with numerous leading sports publications. A football and martial arts fanatic, he spent years training in both disciplines before turning to writing.
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