This midweek sees the Poor man’s Cup of English Football aka the League Cup kick off, and despite its relatively lowly stature we still love it and offer up our EFL League Cup Round 1 Predictions.
No ones seems to care too much about the EFL League Cup Round 1, or indeed many of the rounds, until around Semi Final time, or the odd occasion where a minnow has gone on a giant killing run.
We proposed somewhere a few years back that you could make the League Cup more exciting by playing the teams in pools according to their division for a few rounds, and making the lowest ranked team always play at home thereafter to ensure passage for lower ranked teams into the later rounds and the added attraction of having the big teams playing at the smaller grounds. Never going to happen, much like anyone taking our EFL League Cup Round 1 predictions too seriously.
Onwards to the EFL League Cup Round 1 Predictions, and much like our Premier League Week 1 PRedictions, we not only offer up our tips, but like Lawro on the BBC put our tips up against an opponent.
Unlike Lawro on the BBC our opponents are not someone I’ve barely heard of, or indeed human. This the EFL League Cup Round 1 Predictions opponent is based on the League Cup Round 1 form of the past 5 years.
The team with the better average points from the 5 seasons gets the tips.
Whose EFL League Cup Round 1 Predictions will be superior, read below to find out. We’ve grouped our best into categories for you to follow with more confidence than usual. The rest are tipped with even less security.
Our EFL League Cup Round 1 Predictions – The Upsets
EXETER to beat Ipswich
LUTON TOWN to beat West Brom
NORTHAMPTON TOWN to beat Wycombe
PETERBOROUGH UNITED to beat QPR
GILLINGHAM to beat Millwall
STEVENAGE to beat Norwich
Just for barely interesting information there were 5 cases of the lower league team winning in last season’s League Cup Round 1. Four were League Two beating League One, and one was League Two defeating Championship. Another four teams were pushed into Extra Time by lower league opponents.
Our EFL League Cup Round 1 Predictions – The Home Comforts
PRESTON to beat Morecambe
NOTTINGHAM FOREST to beat Bury
MIDDLESBROUGH to beat Notts Co.
BRISTOL CITY to beat Plymouth
BRISTOL ROVERS to beat Crawley
Our EFL League Cup Round 1 Predictions – The Away Pays
ASTON VILLA to beat Yeovil
DERBY COUNTY to beat Oldham
BRENTFORD to beat Southend
BARNSLEY to beat Blackpool
BLACKBURN to beat Carlisle
Our EFL League Cup Round 1 Predictions – The Best Guess
Fleetwood Town to beat Crewe Alexandra
Rochdale to beat Grimsby Town
Leeds United to beat Bolton Wanderers
Macclesfield Town to beat Bradford City
Accrington Stanley to beat Mansfield Town
Lincoln City to beat Port Vale
Wigan Athletic to beat Rotherham United
Doncaster Rovers to beat Scunthorpe United
Hull City to beat Sheffield United
Burton Albion to beat Shrewsbury Town
Walsall to beat Tranmere Rovers
Cambridge United to beat Newport County
Cheltenham Town to beat Colchester United
Milton Keynes Dons to beat Charlton Athletic
Oxford United to beat Coventry City
AFC Wimbledon to beat Portsmouth
Reading to beat Birmingham City
Swindon Town to beat Forest Green Rovers
Sunderland to beat Sheffield Wednesday
EFL League Cup Round 1 Predictions – Our Opponent…Tips Based on 1st Round Form
Here are all the games with tips based on 1st Round form from the past five seasons. With average points per game based on 3pts for a win and 0 for a loss. Of course we’ll only compare our top 16 to the relevant games.
Barnsley to beat Blackpool
Carlisle United to beat Blackburn Rovers
Crewe Alexandra to beat Fleetwood Town
Rochdale to beat Grimsby Town
Leeds United to beat Bolton Wanderers
Bradford City to beat Macclesfield Town
Accrington Stanley to beat Mansfield Town
Middlesbrough to beat Notts County
Nottingham Forest to beat Bury
Derby County to beat Oldham Athletic
Port Vale to beat Lincoln City
Preston North End to beat Morecambe
Rotherham United to beat Wigan Athletic
Doncaster Rovers to beat Scunthorpe United
Hull City to beat Sheffield United
Burton Albion to beat Shrewsbury Town
Walsall to beat Tranmere Rovers
Bristol City to beat Plymouth Argyle
Bristol Rovers to beat Crawley Town
Newport County to beat Cambridge United
Cheltenham Town to beat Colchester United
Ipswich Town to beat Exeter City
Millwall to beat Gillingham
Milton Keynes Dons to beat Charlton Athletic
Norwich City to beat Stevenage
Oxford United to beat Coventry City
Portsmouth to beat AFC Wimbledon
Queens Park Rangers to beat Peterborough United
Reading to beat Birmingham City
Brentford to beat Southend United
Swindon Town to beat Forest Green Rovers
Luton Town to beat West Bromwich Albion
Northampton Town to beat Wycombe Wanderers
Aston Villa to beat Yeovil Town
Sunderland to beat Sheffield Wednesday
AND HERE’S THE FULL 5 SEASON STATS
| Team | AvPoints |
| Burton Albion | 3 |
| Milton Keynes Dons | 3 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 3 |
| Reading | 3 |
| Fulham | 3 |
| AFC Bournemouth | 3 |
| Watford | 3 |
| Sunderland | 3 |
| Hull City | 3 |
| Norwich City | 3 |
| Leicester City | 3 |
| Birmingham City | 2.4 |
| Rotherham United | 2.4 |
| Millwall | 2.4 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2.4 |
| Carlisle United | 2.4 |
| Preston North End | 2.4 |
| Charlton Athletic | 2.4 |
| Derby County | 2.4 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 2.4 |
| Leeds United | 2.4 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2.25 |
| Cardiff City | 2.25 |
| Cheltenham Town | 2.25 |
| Barnet | 2 |
| Middlesbrough | 2 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 1.8 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1.8 |
| Peterborough United | 1.8 |
| Bristol City | 1.8 |
| Barnsley | 1.8 |
| Northampton Town | 1.8 |
| Oxford United | 1.8 |
| Gillingham | 1.8 |
| Brentford | 1.8 |
| Accrington Stanley | 1.8 |
| Rochdale | 1.8 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1.8 |
| Sheffield United | 1.8 |
| Walsall | 1.8 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 1.8 |
| Luton Town | 1.5 |
| Huddersfield Town | 1.5 |
| Leyton Orient | 1.5 |
| Bristol Rovers | 1.5 |
| Aston Villa | 1.5 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 1.5 |
| Burnley | 1.5 |
| Notts County | 1.4 |
| Scunthorpe United | 1.4 |
| Portsmouth | 1.2 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 1.2 |
| Ipswich Town | 1.2 |
| Stevenage | 1.2 |
| Exeter City | 1.2 |
| Bury | 1.2 |
| Port Vale | 1.2 |
| Swindon Town | 1.2 |
| Morecambe | 1.2 |
| Yeovil Town | 1.2 |
| Newport County | 1.2 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1.2 |
| York City | 1 |
| Cambridge United | 0.75 |
| Wigan Athletic | 0.75 |
| Hartlepool United | 0.75 |
| Oldham Athletic | 0.6 |
| Coventry City | 0.6 |
| Blackpool | 0.6 |
| Crawley Town | 0.6 |
| Bradford City | 0.6 |
| Chesterfield | 0 |
| Colchester United | 0 |
| Grimsby Town | 0 |
| Dagenham & Redbridge | 0 |
| Southend United | 0 |
| Lincoln City | 0 |
| Mansfield Town | 0 |
| Fleetwood Town | 0 |
| Wycombe Wanderers | 0 |
| Torquay United | 0 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 0 |
| AFC Wimbledon | 0 |
| Forest Green Rovers | 0 |
