Tight games in store on Wednesday night

The SKY SPORTS cameras will be at the Britannia Stadium on Wednesday night (19:45) as Stoke entertain Man United in the last eight of the League Cup.

United are the 20/23 (BETVICTOR) favourites for the game as they come in on the back of a morale boosting 3-0 triumph over Aston Villa at the weekend. The Red Devils are unbeaten in their last 12 meetings with Stoke and have won four of their last five at the Britannia. Stoke have drawn six of their last ten games in all competitions and you can get 27/10 (BETVICTOR) that the game ends all square while a victory for the home team is available at 15/4 (bet365) as the Potters have lost just one home game all season.

Getting a first goalscorer bet right is difficult as teams tended to be rotated for this tournament though Peter Crouch has scored in the last two rounds and in the game between these sides at Old Trafford can be backed at 8/1 (ladbrokes/CORAL/BWIN) to net the opening goal. Kenwyne Jones has four goals in this tournament this season and is 21/2 (BWIN) to grab the opener. Javier Hernandez is expected to lead the line for United and the Mexican is 5/1 (ladbrokes/betway) to grab the opener while Danny Welbeck who got two at the weekend is a 13/2 (paddy Power/betway) chance. The best bet in a difficult looking games comes in the man of the match market where I like the look of Darren Fletcher at 16/1 (ladbrokes) if he is selected. The Scot has had an awful time of things with his health and after coming off the bench on Sunday he could be in line for a start here to get him up to match fitness. It would be a lovely story if he was to cap it all with a man of the match performance.

The other last eight game taking place on Wednesday night (19:45) is the battle at White Hart Lane between Tottenham and West Ham. Spurs sacked their manager Andre Vilas-Boas on Monday morning after one heavy defeat too many. Fabio Capello, Michael Laudrup, Jurgen Klinsmann and Mauricio Pochettino are the names in the frame for the job though it is Tim Sherwood who is the man in charge on Wednesday night in a caretaker role and Tottenham are 8/15 (GENERAL) for victory.

West Ham side have just three wins from their last 11 games though one of those wins though did come at White Hart Lane where they emerged victorious 3-0 and Sam Allardyce will know a League Cup run could be to buy him time as a manager. It is 7/1 (bet365/BETVICTOR/WINNER) West Ham with the draw 7/2 (SKYBET/BETVICTOR).

It is hard to know just how Tottenham will react to the sacking of their manager and as such this is not a game I will rush to get involved in the outright markets.

West Ham have netted just seven times from their nine away games this season with three of these coming in a crazy 13 minute spell at White Hart Lane. Tottenham meanwhile find sides difficult to break down and as such I think the game to have under 2.5 goals looks the way to play this at odds of 23/20 (william hill).

In addition both teams have scored in just three of the last 12 West Ham matches in all competitions so take the evens (paddy Power) on NO in the both teams to score market.

BEST OF THE BETS

GOLD: Under 2.5 goals between Tottenham and West Ham, 23/20 (william hill)
SILVER: NO both teams to score Tottenham and West Ham, evens (paddy power)
BRONZE: Darren Fletcher man of the match Stoke v Man Utd, 16/1 (ladbrokes)

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18/12/2013     © Frixo 2026