The Carabao Cup – formerly known as the EFL Cup – stands alongside the FA Cup as England’s prominent cup competition, and is open only to the 92 members of the Premier League and Football League. In this guide, we provide information about this sponsored event, as well as the latest odds and tips to make your Carabao Cup betting experience an informed and exciting one.
- Best Betting Sites for Carabao Cup Betting
- Best Carabao Cup Betting Sites – Top 5 Ranked
- Carabao Cup 2021/22 Odds, Tips & Predictions
- Carabao Cup 2021/22 – What’s Happened So Far?
- Carabao Cup 2021/22 – Key Dates
- Carabao Cup 2021/22 Predictions
- Carabao Cup Betting Tips
- Popular Carabao Cup Betting Markets
- History of the EFL Cup
- Past Winners of the EFL League Cup
- Most Successful EFL League Cup Teams
- All-Time League Cup Top Goalscorers
- Upcoming Sporting Events
- Carabao Cup Betting FAQs
- ThePuntersPage Final Say
- Those who play in the EFL Championship, EFL League One and EFL League Two enter from the very start, while Premier League occupants join in rounds 2 and 3. The teams will then compete for a place in February’s final at Wembley Stadium. Find a list of our top betting sites we recommend for Carabao Cup betting below.
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#1
 Ladbrokes
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY 18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x 5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#2
 bet365
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY 18+ Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#3
 Unibet
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY 18+ begambleaware.org. New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first bet loses. Wagering requirements: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Unless forfeited the sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in. No deposit required for NI customers. Call 08081699314 to claim. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#4
Paddy Power
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY 18+ New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards or Apple Pay will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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#5
SBK
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY New UK, IE & Malta users only. Min. £10/€10 first deposit only using Debit Card or Trustly. Free bets expire in 90 days. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad |
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Best Carabao Cup Betting Sites – Top 5 Ranked
#01 Ladbrokes
#02 bet365
#03 Unibet
#04 Paddy Power
#05 SBK
Carabao Cup 2021/22 Odds, Tips & Predictions
The 2021/22 Carabao Cup final took place on 27 February 2022 at Wembley Stadium. See below our tables for the latest odds and tips.
Carabao Cup 2021/22 Finals Odds
| Result | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea To Win | 11/5 | Spreadex |
| Liverpool To Win | 7/5 | Coral |
| Draw | 23/10 | bet365 |
Carabao Cup 2021/22 – What’s Happened So Far?
QPR’s journey continued after they beat Everton on penalties, while Sunderland are the lowest-ranked side left in the competition after they overcame Wigan Athletic 2-0 on the road. Preston North End set up a huge tie with Liverpool in round 4 following their comfortable 4-1 triumph over Cheltenham Town.
Thus, with 16 teams left in the competition, 12 were Premier League occupants.
It was an incredibly tense round, one which left us largely with the usual suspects, but few of which didn’t have to fight tooth and nail to get there. In terms of EFL Cup betting, the lessons here are obvious, expect the unexpected, and never rule out the possibility of a Carabao Cup draw.
Carabao Cup 2021/22 – Key Dates
There is only one date left, one more EFL Cup betting opportunity, one more set of Carabao Cup odds. Yes, the big one is finally set to arrive as Chelsea take on Liverpool on the 27th February 2022 at Wembley Stadium. It will take place at 4.30pm on Sky Sports Football or through their streaming service Sky Go for British readers, or from the USA Network for our American readers.
Carabao Cup 2021/22 Predictions
Here, we’re going to predict what we think is going to happen in the rest of the Carabao Cup. Considering that, at the time of writing, we’ve only got the final left to go, that means predicting the final itself. Do keep in mind that this is an incredibly tough final to predict, just look at the Carabao Cup odds for proof of that. Furthermore, while this might give you some ideas for Carabao Cup betting, ideas to ponder if you will, there is certainly no guarantee you’ll be a winner. League Cup betting, even when using the best football betting sites the UK has to offer, always comes with risks, so please take our predictions here as simply our opinion, not a guarantee. With that in mind here’s some bold EFL cup betting predictions.
- Normal play will result in a Carabao Cup draw: This means that at the end of 90 minutes there will be no winner. The reason for this prediction is really very simple, we typically find that draws are underestimated, there’s been plenty already in the competition already (including three featuring our finalists), and we have two massively motivated sides at close levels of quality. They also drew in their last two Premier League meetings, going 2-2 in January, and 1-1 in August 2021.
- Liverpool win on penalties: We think that the game will go to penalties and that The Reds will emerge victorious having the slight edge in that discipline. Remember that Liverpool bested Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup on penalties in 2019. Chelsea have survived penalties against Southampton and Aston Villa, but Liverpool are a very different prospect. That said that this is an incredibly close call.
- Jota to score: Just because we think that normal play will end in a draw doesn’t necessarily mean a 0-0 stalemate, in fact, we could see this being a back-and-forth affair. If that’s the case, we see Diogo Jota again make his presence felt in this tournament.
- High number of total shots: In a game with these kinds of stakes and tension, we’re not expecting conservative, overly defensive football. We think even in the case of a Carabao Cup draw, there will be plenty of shots taken place, something to consider for Carabao Cup betting.
- It will be a classic: Not necessarily relevant to League Cup betting, but we think the stakes, the quality of the teams and their recent history, this has everything you need for a truly great football match.
Carabao Cup Betting Tips
While our predictions above might be interesting from an EFL Cup betting perspective, they are not intended to be direct advice, rather just our opinion that we felt might provide insight for you to enjoy. Here however are some more practical sports betting tips to help with your Carabao Cup betting.
- 01Don’t let your emotions get the best of youThe fact is that when we are talking about a tournament final against two fierce rivals, emotions start to come into play, especially if your favourite team happens to be involved. Perhaps you’ve just got really invested in this match having enjoyed the tournament so much so far. And generally, that’s a good thing, being a footie fan should always be about passion and having fun. That said, it doesn’t necessarily make for the smartest Carabao Cup betting. Your ability to analyse Carabao Cup odds quality, for instance, may start to wobble under the strain of your excitement. If that is the case, if you can’t separate your head from your heart on a particular market, especially when talking about backing a team to win – then it is time to look elsewhere.
- 02Check out alternative marketsThe good news is that there’s plenty of places to look thanks to an amazing selection of alternative markets available on events like this. Sports betting can often have great variety, with football sports betting being especially exceptional owing to its popularity. That’s even more the case when talking about English Football League Cup betting in the finals. Over/under markets, Asian handicap betting markets, players markets and plenty more can all offer great options if you don’t find backing a team to win or a Carabao Cup draw enticing. Just check out our betting guide on EFL transfers for an example of how interesting and rewarding sports betting on footie alternatives can be.
- 03Utilise the football statsWhen it comes to making smarter predictions, stats are a sports fans best friend. And it’s easy to do, just check out our football stats centre, which includes great info on everything from penalties to football goal statistics across a ton of English (and European) teams. The entire top flight of the English football league is included. Considering both the finalists are in the Premier League and have a huge history together, there’s a treasure trove of relevant stats to help inform you.
- 04Shop around for the best oddsThe popularity of League Cup betting means excellent odds as bookmakers are incredibly competitive in enticing you to choose them over all the others. If you find better, more competitive odds away from your preferred bookie, by all means, sign up and take advantage. Remember that you can sign up to as many operators as you like without it effecting your other accounts
- 05Take advantage of the promotionsNot only does Carabao Cup betting offer the promise of excellent odds, but also some of the best promotions you’ll find anywhere. Again, it’s a huge event, operators are desperate to grab your attention, and will provide often very generous bonuses to do so. You could enjoy everything from free bets no deposits offers while signing up to a new site, or enhanced odds on specific markets. While shopping around, pay attention to that bonus page.
Popular Carabao Cup Betting Markets
The Carabao Cup is a fantastic tournament for betting, especially for football fans.
Outright Winner
This is the most common bet associated with Carabao Cup betting, as you’re picking who you think will win the competition in February.
Carabao Cup Betting On Rounds
With the Carabao Cup comprising of five rounds, two two-legged semi-finals and a final, there’s plenty of football to bet on. Interesting fixtures are inevitable, with the possibility of a giant killing or two arriving at every stage.
Tournament Top Scorer
Another bet available at the beginning of the tournament is the outright top goalscorer. This is an incredibly tough bet to nail due to the unpredictability of the competition, the likelihood of the top teams rotating and the low number of goals it’ll take to top the scoring charts.
Each-Way Bet
Each-way sports betting is more commonly associated with horse racing and golf, but it does creep into football on the odd occasion. When League Cup betting on outright winners, you can place an each-way bet which means the selected team will just have to reach the final for you to ‘win’. If they’re runners-up, you’ll still get paid on the place part of your bet. *
Tournament Structure for the Carabao Cup
The EFL League Cup, now commonly known as its sponsored name the Carabao Cup, is widely regarded as England’s secondary cup competition only behind the FA Cup. To be clear, League Cup betting, EFL Cup Betting and Carabao Cup betting all mean the same thing. The competition, which usually begins in August and ends with a Wembley final in February, follows a knockout structure and is open to all 92 clubs in England’s top four divisions.
This season, 22 of the 24 EFL Championship clubs, as well as all current EFL League 1 and EFL League 2 occupants, entered the competition in round 1. Then, in round 2, the other two Championship sides as well as the Premier League sides not competing in Europe enter.
The rest of the top flight join the remaining sides in round 3. The 32 teams will then compete for a spot in the final.
Unlike the FA Cup, there are no replays and ties played in rounds 1-5 will be decided via a penalty shootout should the match end in a draw. There are no extra-time periods until the semi-finals, which are two-legged affairs.
History of the EFL Cup
- Following a decade-long discussion over its formation, the EFL League Cup was established at the start of the 1960/61 season with Aston Villa its inaugural winners. Back then, any betting would be English Football League Cup betting or League Cup betting.
- For some, the competition was regarded as a “consolation” for those who’d been knocked out of the FA Cup and thus had another chance to win silverware. For others, the competition was a necessary introduction to the English football league game that was losing its prestige, with match day attendances in stark decline at the start of the ‘60s.
- Initially, the ‘big’ clubs in England dismissed the League Cup as useless and a distraction in their efforts to claim a place in the more lucrative and recently-established European Cup. However, the awarding of a European place to the competition’s victor swiftly altered the minds of the UK’s football elite. That, combined with an annual Wembley final, saw the competition’s popularity soar.
- From 1972, entry into the League Cup was made compulsory for all Football League teams.
- Liverpool dominated in the 1980s and they lifted the trophy four times on the spin at the start of the decade. Such superiority can only be rivalled by the current Manchester City team, who have won five of the last six League Cup competitions. Hence why it was such a shock to see City drop out this year’s competition so early, and why this tournament must already be seen as a historic event. Both teams have won a record eight times.
- For the modern-day supporter, the League Cup is more commonly known by its sponsor name. There have been a multitude of sponsors over the years, which are: Littlewoods, Milk (literally, milk), Rumbelows, Worthington, Coca Cola, Carling Cup, Capital One and, of course, Carabao.
- And, of course, it is impossible to discuss the recent history of the EFL Cup, without mentioning the coronavirus pandemic. It had a huge impact on both this year and the previous years tournament. Indeed, this tournament saw Rochdale get a bye due to a COVID-19 outbreak across many players of the Harrogate Town team, and the semi-final between Arsenal and Liverpool was postponed due to an outbreak among the Liverpool squad. Last year we saw games behind closed doors and a final with only 8000 fans.
- It has also had a more general impact on safety protocols, attendance and has affected the lives of the participants, just as it has so much of the world. However, more has remained the same than has changed. We’ve still seen amazing football and great athletes at their best, occasionally disrupted but resilient to the end in their desire to showcase their best and entertain fans. We’ve also seen progression, with fans in the tens of thousands expected for this year’s final, in stark contrast to the 2021 iteration.
Past Winners of the EFL League Cup
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Manchester City | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2020 | Manchester City | Aston Villa |
| 2019 | Manchester City | Chelsea |
| 2018 | Manchester City | Arsenal |
| 2017 | Manchester United | Southampton |
| 2016 | Manchester City | Liverpool |
| 2015 | Chelsea | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2014 | Manchester City | Sunderland |
| 2013 | Swansea City | Bradford City |
| 2012 | Liverpool | Cardiff City |
| 2011 | Birmingham City | Arsenal |
| 2010 | Manchester United | Aston Villa |
| 2009 | Manchester United | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2008 | Tottenham Hotspur | Chelsea |
| 2007 | Chelsea | Arsenal |
| 2006 | Manchester United | Wigan Athletic |
| 2005 | Chelsea | Liverpool |
| 2004 | Middlesbrough | Bolton Wanderers |
| 2003 | Liverpool | Manchester United |
| 2002 | Blackburn Rovers | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2001 | Liverpool | Birmingham City |
| 2000 | Tranmere Rovers | Tranmere Rovers |
Most Successful EFL League Cup Teams
| Team | Wins | Runner-Up | Years Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 8 | 4 | 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1994–95, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2011–12 |
| Manchester City | 7 | 1 | 1969–70, 1975–76, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020-21 |
| Aston Villa | 5 | 4 | 1960–61, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1993–94, 1995–96 |
| Manchester United | 5 | 4 | 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2016–17 |
| Chelsa | 5 | 3 | 1964–65, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2014–15 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 4 | 4 | 1970–71, 1972–73, 1998–99, 2007–08 |
| Nottingham Forest | 4 | 2 | 1977–78, 1978–79, 1988–89, 1989–90 |
| Leicester City | 3 | 2 | 1963–64, 1996–97, 1999–2000 |
| Arsenal | 2 | 6 | 1986–87, 1992–93 |
| Norwich City | 2 | 2 | 1961–62, 1984–85 |
All-Time League Cup Top Goalscorers
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Ian Rush | 49 |
| Robbie Fowler | 33 |
| Jermaine Defoe | 22 |
| Michael Owen | 19 |
| Sir Kenny Dalglish | 18 |
| Jay Rodriguez | 18 |
| Frank Lampard | 17 |
| Nathan Ellington | 17 |
| Andy Cole | 16 |
| Alan Shearer | 16 |
League Cup Key Stats
- Liverpool and Manchester City have won the cup eight times, a tournament record.
- Liverpool have appeared in the most finals (12).
- The Reds’ Ian Rush has scored the most goals in the competition (49).
- Aston Villa won the first League Cup competition way back in 1961.
- Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho have won the competition a record six times.
Upcoming Sporting Events
Carabao Cup Betting FAQs
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The final takes place each February at Wembley Stadium, London.
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The competition introduced one-legged semi-final ties for the 2020/21 tournament but will return to a two-legged affair for the 2021/22 competition.
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Yes, all matches that end as a draw in the first five rounds will go straight to penalties. In the semi-finals and final, extra time will be played as well.
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No they are simply different names for the same tournament, if you see them advertised by either name through your bookmaker, they represent sports betting on the same thing, whether it is called Carabao Cup betting, English Football League Cup betting, League Cup betting, or EFL Cup betting.
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This year it takes place on the 27th February 2022. The final for the 2021/2022 tournament is between Chelsea and Liverpool, it will begin at Wembley Stadium at 4.30pm.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
The Carabao Cup certainly lacks the (albeit fading) prestige of the FA Cup, but it’s nonetheless a piece of major silverware. The competition’s February final is a showpiece event in the English Football League calendar – one dominated by Manchester City in recent years. While the majority of the top teams continue to use the early rounds of the competition as a mere opportunity to utilise youth and rest perennial first-teamers, the latter stages can often produce enthralling ties.
There’s more than enough for punters to take advantage of with this competition throughout the season, with a multitude of fixtures taking place at the start of the new campaign. It can be tough to predict, but Carabao Cup betting can undoubtedly be fun.
And this year’s final is a perfect example of exactly that. Chelsea and Liverpool can be fantastically exciting teams when at their best and they have every reason to aim for exactly that in this epic showdown. They have an immense history and are two of the closest teams in terms of quality, although naturally their supporters will contest that point, in the top English football league. Combine that with a great selection of rising and established talent (even though both teams have been incredibly quiet so far this January transfer season) and you have what might be one of the most enjoyable sporting events, both in terms of Carabao Cup betting and from a pure fan’s perspective, so far this year. Even if we end up with a Carabao Cup draw in normal time and must go through the agony of extra time and penalties, we’re sure to have a great time.
