Football betting tips: Carabao Cup
2pts Bristol City to win to nil at 7/5 (William Hill)
0.5pt Scott Twine to score from outside the box at 8/1 (bet365)
Bristol City’s clash with Walsall in the Carabao Cup first round on Thursday marks the return of the English domestic season, if you ignore the preliminary fixtures.
And after a summer dominated by the World Cup, there’s plenty to catch up on regarding these two clubs, starting with the Championship’s Bristol City.
Michael Skubala has replaced Roy Hodgson at Ashton Gate. Formerly of Lincoln City, Skubala won the League One title last season with a haul of 103 points and a modest budget, crowning a successful two-and-a-half-season stint with the Imps.
His new club have certainly backed him.
Bristol City have raided the third tier, plucking Dom Ballard from Leyton Orient and Lorent Tolaj from Plymouth. The pair netted 40 goals between them in the league below last term, with the former finishing as the top goalscorer and the latter in third.
They’ve also signed highly-rated keeper Sam Tickle from Wigan and Brad Collins from Coventry. Experienced winger Jed Wallace joins from West Brom and Sam Greenwood - formerly on the books at Leeds, Preston and Middlesbrough - from Pogon Szczecin.
The hosts are heavily odds-on to win in 90 minutes against League Two opponents Walsall on Thursday. And this is a good time to point out if the game is level after 90 minutes, it will go straight to penalties.
Anyway, this will be the first competitive look at Lee Grant’s Saddlers.
How much stock is put into pre-season friendlies is debatable, but the fact Walsall have failed to score in any of their four clashes with Leamington, Aston Villa, Telford and Notts County is definitely a cause for concern.
Grant's managerial career is still very much in its infancy but after a poor eight months in his maiden role at Huddersfield, the pressure is mounting.
He last half a season as Terriers manager, his attacking, possession-based style of play never materialising.
Now, ahead of his second season in management, he takes charge of his second club and has already voiced frustration at a lack of signings.
Walsall head coach Lee Grant says he'll be 'glad to see the back' of the transfer window as he continues to build his squad.
— BBC Radio WM Sport (@sportbbcwm) August 4, 2026
Listen - https://t.co/y9VQ4TVXrm pic.twitter.com/Z65JjV8TNY
All things considered, it’s hard to make a case for the League Two outfit here and at odds-against, backing BRISTOL CITY TO WIN TO NIL appeals.
Second guessing the line-ups for this sort of fixture is a dangerous game but I cannot resist a tentative half a point play on SCOTT TWINE TO SCORE FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX at 8/1 with bet365.
Last season, 49 of his 94 shots came from range, as did two of his 11 goals. In three seasons for the Robins seven of his 22 goals have come from downtown as have 136 of his 245 shots.
Odds correct at 17:25 BST (05/08/26)
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