FOOTBALL expert Ben Levene (@benlevene96) pinpoints the value ahead of Thursday night's televised EFL Cup clash between Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday.
Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday | Thursday 16th August 2018, 19:45 | Sky Sports
Thursday night’s televised Carabao Cup tie sees League One Sunderland host Championship Sheffield Wednesday.
New Sunderland boss Jack Ross is still bedding in at the Stadium of Light. Four-points from his opening two games are a decent enough return for the North-East newcomer.
Jos Luhukay’s Sheffield Wednesday haven’t enjoyed such a comfortable start, with the Owls posting just the single-point from their first two matches.
Five Championship sides faced League One opposition in last night’s Carabao Cup action, boasting a W3-D1-L1 record. Over the last six seasons, Championship teams have a W21-D16-L11 record against third-tier teams in the League Cup.
Assessing sides between divisions is difficult, especially so early into the new campaign, so these records are more useful than not.
Changes likely
Both bosses have hinted at making changes, with no shame.
Sunderland have three league games in the space of six-days from Saturday, and Ross has spoken of playing a ‘balancing act’ in order to look after his players.
Likewise, Luhakay has pretty blatantly stated he’ll make changes, having already confirmed Joe Wildsmith will start in goal.
The stalemate
It’s likely to be a slog at the Stadium of Light, with little fluency from both sides. It’s possible there’s a fair few youngsters on show, too. With this in mind, I’m not rushing to backing either outfit.
The draw is available at 13/5 (Betfair). It’s landed in 33% of EFL Cup ties between Championship and League One opposition over the last six seasons, so the 27% chance quoted is something we can profit from.
Best Bets
Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday – Draw (13/5 Betfair)
