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EFL Cup 2019 Odds, Live Stream, TV Schedule for 1st-Round Fixtures
August 12, 2019
The first round of the League Cup continues this week, with Salford City's clash with Leeds United the standout contest on Tuesday.
Salford will play in the tournament for the first time after their promotion to League Two last term, and their association with Manchester United—the club is co-owned by six former Red Devils players—will likely lead to a spicy atmosphere against the Yorkshire club.
Elsewhere, Middlesbrough will take on Crewe Alexandra, while Charlton Athletic, who have won their first two games of the Championship season, will face Forest Green.
League Cup - Round 1 Draw
Tranmere Rovers v Hull City
Grimsby Town v Doncaster Rovers
Wigan Athletic v Stoke City
Port Vale v Burton Albion
Nottingham Forest v Fleetwood Town
Bradford City v Preston North End
Blackpool v Macclesfield Town
Blackburn Rovers v Oldham Athletic
Mansfield Town v Morecambe
Accrington Stanley v Sunderland
Scunthorpe United v Derby County
Rochdale v Bolton Wanderers
Huddersfield Town v Lincoln City
Middlesbrough v Crewe Alexandra
Shrewsbury Town v Rotherham United
Sheffield Wednesday v Bury**
Salford City v Leeds United*
Barnsley v Carlisle United
Colchester United v Swindon Town
AFC Wimbledon v Milton Keynes Dons
Oxford United v Peterborough United
QPR v Bristol City
Plymouth Argyle v Leyton Orient
Wycombe Wanderers v Reading
Charlton Athletic v Forest Green Rovers
Gillingham v Newport County
Stevenage v Southend United
Luton Town v Ipswich Town
Walsall v Crawley Town
Bristol Rovers v Cheltenham Town
Brentford v Cambridge United
Coventry City v Exeter City
Swansea City v Northampton Town
West Bromwich Albion v Millwall
*Match will be shown on Sky Sports and available via Sky Go in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it will be shown on ESPN+.
**Match postponed.
League Cup Odds
Manchester City - 4/1
Liverpool - 8/1
Tottenham Hotspur - 10/1
Manchester United - 10/1
Chelsea - 10/1
Arsenal - 12/1
Odds in full are available via Oddschecker.
Preview
Portsmouth beat Birmingham City 3-0 last week in the first fixture of the season.
One of the major storylines going into Round 1 is the postponement of the match between Bury and Championship leaders Sheffield Wednesday.
Bury's first two league matches of the domestic season have been called off due to the club's financial problems; the clash scheduled for Hillsborough will be their third delayed game. Per BBC Sport, on Friday the Shakers were given a two-week deadline to provide a plan to pay off debts or face expulsion from the Football League.
One game that will be going ahead is at Salford, where they will be seeking to spring an upset against Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds side.
After winning their first-ever Football League game at home to Stevenage, Salford were beaten by Crawley Town 2-0 on Saturday. However, you sense Moor Lane will be bouncing for the visit of Leeds, who will need to be wary of the threat Salford can provide.
Last time they were on home soil, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe scored twice in a 2-0 win over Stevenage:
The travelling Leeds fans will also contribute to the atmosphere, with BBC Sport's Simon Stone noting that some of Salford's owners have been on receiving end of some criticism from the fanbase down the years:
Having taken over as Middlesbrough boss this summer, Jonathan Woodgate will want a strong run in the cup competitions this season. He has fond memories of the League Cup, too, netting the winning goal in the 2008 final for Tottenham Hotspur against Chelsea:
It's been a tough start to the season for Boro, as they've picked up just one point from their first two Championship fixtures.
Holders Manchester City will enter the competition in the third round, along with the rest of the Premier League teams playing European football. The remaining top-flight outfits will be included in the second round.