CHRIS Graham (@chrisgraham79) takes a look at the Tuesday League Cup matches an highlights two bets.
Reading v Everton | Tuesday 20:00
A confession. I hate betting in this competition until we get to the business end. This and the FA Cup are a nightmare to get your head around and it's rare for me to have a big bet on these type of games. I had a good look at the Second City derby elsewhere, but this is the only other game I could get remotely excited about.
Both sides should make significant changes to their teams (cheers!) but I still get the impression we'll see a lively encounter. Everton have been knocked out in this round in the last three seasons but perhaps there will be a little more extra pressure this time round.
There still seems some fan discontent at the club and a decent run in the League Cup should definitely soothe those vibes. Incidentally I've no idea why these people are moaning about a very well run club who've enjoyed some good times since the turn of century. Seriously, go and play Championship Manger. This is real life FFS!
After a superb first season at the helm that saw a Top 5 finish, last year was a setback for Roberto Martinez as they finished 11th. He has a bit to prove in Season 3 and surely this gives him a platform?
Everton have started the season well with just one defeat in the league and two very impressive wins over Chelsea and Southampton. They sit in the Top 6 and expectations will be fairly high going into this game.
Reading have a poor heritage in this competition. They've gone past this round just once in the last nine years and manager Steve Clarke has made it clear it's simply not a priority.
Like Everton, they've started the season well with just two defeats from their eight Championship matches but have won just once at home. I can't see Clarke losing much sleep about this game.
So the combination of Reading's indifference to this fixture and that bit of pressure on Everton and Martinez points me towards backing them at odds against here.
Best Bets
Reading v Everton – Everton to win (6/5 Bet365)
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