Carling Cup 3rd Round – Tuesday

The Carling Cup swings back into midweek action on Tuesday, with some interesting matches in the Third Round. Often taking a back seat because of its midweek games and lesser standing of importance to the FA Cup, the Carling Cup is still an important piece of silverware for teams to chase down. The chance to put a bit of silverware in the cabinet is nothing to be sneezed at, and while some of the top teams may take the opportunity to give some big game experience to their young fledglings, the competition can still stir up emotions and produce some cracking games.

Hitting the headlines on Tuesday are the fixtures of Leeds v Liverpool and Arsenal v West Brom. There is also an interesting pair of Premier League clashes to look forward too, and eyes will of course be on some of the lower teams in football tier, to perform a big night of giant killing.

Bolton v West Ham
Two Premier League sides struggling to get going this season, and neither with a home win, and both with just one away win. This will be a good chance for both teams to build a little confidence and get their league campaigns kick started. It will be hard to pick a winner out of these two, as they are very similar in form this year. The Hammers have a couple of injury problems, notably Matthew Upson, who took a knock in the weekend’s defeat to Liverpool. Bolton boss Gary Megson is under a bit of pressure, and he has insisted that it will be a strong side which he fields. For that reason and for them being at home, the sensible money should go on a home win.
Bolton to Win 7/5 at William Hill, Draw 12/5 at Bet365, West Ham to win 21/10 at BetFred

Barnsley v Burnley
The battle of the B’s. Burnley are credible 9th in the Premier League with three home wins. Their away form leaves a lot to be desired though, as they haven’t managed a single goal yet in three matches. That could be down to class of opposition, and it is notoriously hard for newcomers to get away points in the highest level. Barnsley on the other hand haven’t won at home all season, and their single win has been away. This sounds like an even match up, but the Premier League side probably won’t field their strongest team, as their status in the league will be far more important to them, and they already have a few injury worries. They do have a good cup record though, so a bet would probably favour them.
Barnsley to win 21/10 at Coral, Draw 12/5 at BetFred, Burnley to Win 7/5 at William Hill

Carlisle v Portsmouth
Whether cellar-dwellers of the Premier League, Pompey, will fancy this awkward trip much, is up for debate. Carlisle are 18th in League One, and the northerners have only 8 points from 8 games, which would explain their position. Pompey are going backwards this season, and are still looking for their first league win, having only scored four times in six matches. Definitely not the stuff of Premier League survivors. Pompey boss Paul Hart has some selection problems because of injury and players being cup tied and this could be one of the upsets of the night.
Carlisle to win 10/3 at Coral, Draw 13/5 at William Hill, Portsmouth to win 18/19 at Expekt

Nottingham Forest v Blackburn
Rovers, one of those teams that always seems to hang around and cause a nuisance of themselves in the Premier League, are, like Pompey, finding it tough going this season. They are third from bottom with only one home win to their name so far. Forest aren’t exactly setting the Championship alight either, as they are lingering down in 18th place. This may not be a match to inspire a lot of neutral interest, but it throws up another good chance for a lower team to claim a Premier League scalp. Rovers boss Sam Allardyce is one person who is always up for a scrap, and he’ll be openly honest and determined to change their form around quickly. This could be a platform for them, and their fighting spirit, and just that little bit of class should see them edge through.
Forest to win 9/4 at BetFred, Draw 12/5 at Boylesports, Blackburn to win 11/8 at Coral

Peterborough v Newcastle
Fallen giants Newcastle are making early seasons strides to work towards getting back where the Toon Army belong, in the Premier League. They currently sit in second place in the Championship, just one point behind leaders West Brom. Here they take on 18th placed Peterborough, in a week where the club has been remembering the sad passing of Sir Bobby Robson. With contrasting seasons so far, Newcastle should have the form and the edge to get through this tie without too much trouble. The Posh only picked up their first win of the season in injury time on the weekend, while Newcastle were cruising to a 3-1 win.
Peterborough to win 11/5 at BetFred, Draw 5/2 at Bet365, Newcastle to win 11/8 at SkyBet

Scunthorpe v Port Vale
Scunthorpe, 13th in the Championship, take on Port Vale who are 14th in League Two. The gulf here between the two sides, combined with Scunthorpe’s home advantage, should mean a relatively easy passage through for them. The home side will be missing their top striker through injury though, and maybe the Vale shouldn’t be too underestimated though, because they have already knocked out both Sheffield teams, both of which are championship sides.
Scunthorpe to win 8/15 at BetFred, Draw 10/3 at William Hill, Port Vale to win 6/1 at Bet365

Stoke v Blackpool
Premier League newcomers Stoke, who are sitting mid table after a good start to the season, will be looking for safe passage past the seasiders in this tie. This should be an interesting match actually, with not too much between the two teams. Again, like Burnley, Stoke will probably field a team that is different to their main league one, in order to rest important players and not risk injuries. Blackpool are enjoying a fairly good start to the Championship season, as they sit in 7th place. They are doing admirably because of injury problems, and the Potters, with a changed side, could be in for a really tough fight.
Stoke to win 4/5 at William Hill, Draw 11/4 at Coral, Blackpool to win 4/1 at SportingBet

Sunderland v Birmingham
The other Premier League match up. Both teams are kind of mid table in the league, and will be looking at each other, and thinking they are in with a good chance of progressing to the fourth round. Sunderland will naturally be the happier of the pair with the home draw. Birmingham have been cited as potential drop candidates for this season, and their league position could be a little flattering. Sunderland on the other hand have been looking forward after investing in the team during the off season, and should be the stronger of the two sides here.
Sunderland to win 5/6 at SkyBet, Draw 5/2 at Bet365, Birmingham to win 4/1 at Coral