THE early rounds of the EFL Cup often throw up a few shocks but it would be a major surprise if Brighton and Hove Albion slip up at home to Crawley Town.
Premier League clubs usually make a raft of changes for these kind of ties and I'd imagine Seagulls gaffer Fabian Hurzeler will look at a few fringe players when the League One club come calling.
This tie comes between two huge Premier League games against Manchester United and Arsenal so Hurzeler might keep a few of his main man wrapped in cotton wool.
Securing League One safety will be the priority for Crawley Town after their surprise victory in the promotion play-offs last term.
But a cup run would boost the finances and the minnows will be hoping their EFL trophy shoot-out win over Brighton's Under-21s is an omen for this tie against the big boys.
How the bookies view it: Crawley written off
Despite making a strong start to the season, Crawley Town are 11/2 outsiders to reach the next round and 12/1 to win inside 90 minutes. Brighton and Hove Albion are 1/10 hot favourites to go through and 1/5 to finish the job in normal time.
Head to head: Minnows rout to make amends
These times have faced just once before – in an FA Cup tie all the way back in 1992. That's a game Crawley Town fans would prefer to forget as the Seagulls romped to a 5-o win on the south coast.
Players to watch: Rutter out to make instant impact
Brighton new boy Georginio Rutter came off the bench in the win over Manchester United for his debut and could be handed a start here. The former Leeds United forward will be desperate to impress and could be worth a punt to get off the mark if he's unleashed from the off.
Crawley boss Scott Lindsey should field a strong team as he chases a cup shock and Ade Adeyamo has a couple of goals to his name already. The forward could get some joy against a makeshift Brighton defence.
Probable line-ups
Expect plenty of changes from Brighton between two big league games. If a deal for Celtic's Matt O'Riley is concluded on time, he could be pitched in for a quickfire debut. Crawley might also make a few alterations from the weekend game with Wigan to freshen things up.
Brighton and Hove Albion: Rushworth, Samuels, Webster, Veltman, Hinshelwood, Baleba, Cozier-Duberry, Ayari, Sarimento, Adingra, Rutter.
Crawley Town: Wollacott, Mukena, Mullarkey, Williams, Flint, Malone, Anderson, Darcy, Quitirna, Adeyamo, Kelly.
Anything else catch the eye?
With Brighton probably ringing the changes they might take a bit of time to get into their stride. That makes a Seagulls win with under 3.5 goals worth a punt at evens in a Betfred bet builder.
Backing most goals to come after the break could be another smart move and that bet pays evens as well.
Crawley have scored in every game so far this season so backing BTTS might pay off too and it's another bet that's priced at evens by Betfred.
This EFL Cup match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Crawley Town will be played on Aug 27, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Brighton and Hove Albion vs Crawley Town prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
Rutter is cup tied, as played for Leeds in round 1, I believe