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 pyramid. Check out this guide for all you need to know about Carabao Cup betting!
- 1 Best Carabao Cup Betting Sites
- 2 Carabao Cup Fixtures & Results
- 3 Tournament Structure for the Carabao Cup
- 4 Carabao Cup 2024/25 Betting Odds
- 5 Carabao Cup 2024/25 Betting Tips
- 6 Popular Carabao Cup Betting Markets
- 7 History of the EFL Cup
- 8 Past Winners of the EFL League Cup
- 9 Most Successful EFL League Cup Teams
- 10 All-Time League Cup Top Goalscorers
- 11 ThePuntersPage Final Say
- 12 Carabao Cup Betting FAQs
Best Carabao Cup Betting Sites
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Founded:
2000
UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
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Bet £10 & Get £30 18+. Min deposit requirement. Registration Required. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad
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Min. stake: £0.10
Max. withdrawal: £100,000
Min. deposit: £5
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Founded:
1946
UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
Payment methods(6):
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Football Free Bets 18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 or more on any football market at minimum 1/1 odds within 7 days of registration. No cash out. Get £30 in Free Football Bets, selected markets. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad
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Min. stake: £0.05
Max. withdrawal: £50,000
Min. deposit: £5
24/7 Customer Support:
Mobile-App:
Android
iOS
|
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Founded:
1886
UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
Payment methods(9):
Bet £5 Get £20 in Free Bets 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. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad
Good to know:
Min. stake: £0.01
Max. withdrawal: £250,000
Min. deposit: £5
24/7 Customer Support:
Mobile-App:
Android
iOS
|
|
Founded:
1992
UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
Payment methods(3):
Bet £10 Get £60 in Free Bets 18+. Bet £10, Get £60 in Free Bets: Available to new customers only, aged 18 or over, residing in Great Britain. The promotion will run from 11th March 2025 until discontinued by Sporting Index Ltd. using its reasonable discretion, ("Promotion Period"). Offer can only be used once per customer. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad
Good to know:
Min. stake: £0.01
Max. withdrawal: £20,000
Min. deposit: £1
24/7 Customer Support:
Mobile-App:
Android
iOS
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Carabao Cup Fixtures & Results
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 absolutely 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.
Though this is a straight knockout competition, it’s not as straightforward as you might expect, with many teams entering in later stages of the competition. This has been done to ease the overcrowded football schedule of top level clubs, especially those playing in European competitions.
Round 1
The first round consists of 70 teams and 35 games. These include all current EFL League 1 and EFL League 2 occupants, as well as 22 out of 24 championship sides. The two Championship sides which are left out are the teams which finished 18th and 19th in the Premier League the previous season. In this year's case, they were Burnley and Watford.
Round 2
Then, in Round 2, the two Championship sides enter alongside the 13 Premier League teams which are not involved in any European competitions, totalling 50 teams and 25 matches.
Round 3 and Beyond
The seven premier league clubs left to join enter Round 3 with the 25 winners of Round 2, amounting to 32 teams in all. From this point on it becomes a normal knockout, with 16 teams progressing to the 4th round, eight teams progressing to the 5th round / quarter-finals, and so on and so forth until the Final in February at Wembley.
Unlike the FA Cup, there are no replays, with ties played in rounds 1-5 and 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.
Carabao Cup 2024/25 Betting Odds
With four teams left in the competition, it’s still anyone’s guess as to who is most likely to lift the trophy. However, it's fairly certain that a Premier League team will win it. Below are the odds for each team left in the tournament.
Carabao Cup 2024/25 Betting Tips
The below tips can serve as a guide not just for the Carabao Cup, but for betting in general. Taking the time to fully understand them can enhance your overall experience as a punter, and may just give you the added edge you need to finding value for your bets!
Don’t let your emotions get the best of you
If you’re betting on your favourite team, or any side you have a vested interest in, make sure you remain as unbiased as possible.While being a footie fan should always be about passion and having fun, letting yourself get carried away 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.
Check out alternative markets
The 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, especially for something as popular as football. 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 exciting enough. Just check out our betting guide on EFL transfers for an example of how interesting and rewarding sports betting on footie alternatives can be.
Utilise the football stats
When it comes to making smarter predictions, stats can be your best friend. 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. Moreover, 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.
Shop around for the best odds
The popularity of League Cup betting makes for excellent odds, as bookmakers will try their best in order to convince 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 affecting your other accounts.
Take advantage of the promotions
Not only does Carabao Cup betting offer the promise of excellent odds, but it also results in some of the best promotions you’ll find anywhere. Again, it’s a huge event, and with operators desperate to grab your attention, you will find very generous bonuses available across various sites. These could range from free bet no deposit offers for new customers to enhanced odds on specific markets. So, while shopping around, be sure pay attention to that promotions 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. The bet is very simple, especially as it gets easier to pick a winner as the rounds go by. The odds however, get lower, so keep that in mind.
Carabao Cup Betting on Rounds
With the Carabao Cup comprising 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
Available at the beginning of the tournament, this is an incredibly tough bet to nail due to the unpredictability of the competition, as well as the likelihood of the top teams rotating and the low number of goals it’ll take to top the scoring charts. Betting on a club starting in an earlier round may be beneficial, especially when facing weak opposition.
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 your wager to be successful. If they finish as runners-up, you’ll still get paid on the place part of your bet.
History of the EFL Cup
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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 taking place was known as English Football League Cup betting or League Cup betting.
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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 league football that was losing its prestige, with match day attendances in stark decline at the start of the ‘60s.
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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.
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From 1972, entry into the League Cup was made compulsory for all Football League teams.
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Liverpool dominated in the 1980s, lifting the trophy no less than 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.
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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: Littlewoods, Milk (literally, milk), Rumbelows, Worthington, Coca Cola, Carling Cup, Capital One, and, of course, Carabao.
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Last but not least, it is impossible to discuss the recent history of the EFL Cup without mentioning the coronavirus pandemic. The global viral outbreak had a huge impact on both of the previous seasons’ tournaments. Indeed, this tournament saw Rochdale get a bye due to a COVID-19 outbreak across many players of the Harrogate Town team, while the semi-final between Arsenal and Liverpool was postponed due to an outbreak among the Liverpool squad.
Past Winners of the EFL League Cup
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Liverpool | Chelsea |
| 2023 | Manchester United | Newcastle |
| 2022 | Liverpool | Chelsea |
| 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 | 10 | 4 | 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1994–95, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2011–12, 2021-22, 2023-24 |
| Manchester City | 8 | 1 | 1969–70, 1975–76, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020-21 |
| Manchester United | 6 | 4 | 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2016–17, 2022-23 |
| Aston Villa | 5 | 4 | 1960–61, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1993–94, 1995–96 |
| Chelsa | 5 | 4 | 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 |
| Sir Geoff Hurst | 34 |
| Robbie Fowler | 33 |
| Alan Shearer | 32 |
| Ian Wright | 30 |
| Kenny Dalglish | 27 |
| Tony Cottee | 26 |
| Teddy Sheringham | 23 |
| Matt Le Tissier | 23 |
| Jermain Defoe | 22 |
ThePuntersPage Final Say
The Carabao Cup certainly lacks the (albeit fading) prestige of the FA Cup, but it’s nonetheless a chance for teams to fight it out for a piece of major silverware. After the first few rounds of the competition are over, the remaining sides always turn it up a notch, making it a highly compelling spectacle to watch and bet on!
Carabao Cup Betting FAQs
The fixtures are played at club grounds until the final, which will be played on the 16th of March, at Wembley Stadium.
The semi-final remains the only round which is played over two legs, which are played at both team’s grounds.
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.
No – they are simply different names for the same tournament. If you see them advertised by either name through your bookmaker, they will be referring to the same thing, whether it is Carabao Cup betting, English Football League Cup betting, League Cup betting, or EFL Cup betting.
This year, it will take place on the 16th of March, 2025.