Football Betting: EFL Cup Semifinal Odds and Preview
Published January 8, 2018 by Sol FH
Man. City vs Bristol, and Chelsea vs Arsenal. Which two teams will meet in this years grand finale?
The EFL Cup is now down to the Semifinal stage and there are four teams remaining. Three of the qualifiers are top-flight teams, while the fourth, Bristol, is a surprise story. The Robins made the cut after a 2-1 win over Manchester United in the Quarterfinals, something that Jose Mourinho probably still cringes over before sleeping at night. Bristol is fourth in the EFL Championship League but hasn't won a match since December 26. They are quite lucky to be here, but, their days are numbered, as the best club in the Premier League will be too much too handle.
Manchester City vs Bristol City, Tuesday, 1.8.17 at 19:45 GMT
The celebrations following knocking out United were definitely sweet but probably didn't last that long, as the only reward the Robins got for the win is a match against City. The EFL Cup has been rather good to Bristol until now, as they have knocked out Watford, Stoke and Crystal Palace prior to United. They now face their ultimate test in the two-legged semi-final against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. The first leg is on City turf, and at Etihad, anything less than a home team victory is a failure. No Premier League team has defeated City this year, not home, nor away. They are well above the rest of the field with 62-points, and will almost surely win the season if they continue to play the way they have been.
Odds are heavily in favor of City to come away with a sizeable win tonight. In fact, 888 Sport has posted odds in their favor at 1.06, a draw at 9.50, and a win for the Robins at 21.00. The return on the unthinkable Bristol win would be immense.
Chelsea vs Arsenal, Wednesday, 1.9.17 at 20:00 GMT
This monumental battle will be going down on Wednesday Night at the only thing cooler than these two teams going head to head, is the fact that the all-new Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology will be used in both legs. The International Football Association Board agreed to a pilot of two years, which started Monday Night in a match between Brighton and Crystal Palace. The new tech will only be allowed to be used in four situations - goals, red cards, penalties, or mistaken identity. Variations of the technology have been adopted by American Football, Hockey, Baseball, and others and it should make soccer a more enjoyable sport too.
This will be the second of three January matches between the London rivals. The first meeting was last week in the Premier League and the action-packed game ended in a 2-2 draw. Tonight should be even more intense as both Antonio Conte and Arsene Wenger are looking for hardware, as the Premier League is most-likely out of reach for either. The stage is set for an incredible first leg, and the Blues are happy to be at home to start things off.
Betfair Sports has Chelsea as favorites to win tonight at 1.80, a draw at 3.80, and a win for the Gunners is at 4.60.
