EFL Cup Semi-finals Tips & Insight
With the festive period now behind us, there's a chance for some teams to take stock of their seasons so far, but the likes of Chelsea, Fulham, Liverpool and Middlesbrough have EFL Cup fixtures to fulfil this week.
We have already reached the semi-final stage of the competition, and there are two fixtures planned this week, with Middlesbrough hosting Chelsea, while Fulham travel to Anfield to take on Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
The first legs of the ties will take place across Tuesday and Wednesday before the second legs get underway later in January.
Bet 1 - Over 6.5 Chelsea corners @ 6/5
Middlesbrough and Chelsea endured contrasting fortunes in the FA Cup last weekend, with Michael Carrick's side crashing out in the third round while Chelsea progressed into the fourth round.
Boro fell to a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, but they kept Unai Emery's men at bay until the final few minutes. Chelsea struggled to click in the opening exchanges of their meeting with Preston North End before they finally outclassed the second-tier outfit, winning 4-0 at home.
Chelsea have struggled for consistency for large parts of this season, but they have won three in a row in all competitions under Mauricio Pochettino.
They have also started to find the back of the net on a regular basis, scoring in six consecutive matches.
Pochettino's side are likely to have the majority of the ball and create the majority of the chances, so we fancy them to pick up at least seven corners. Most of their quality comes from out wide, and Boro recently conceded 12 corners to Aston Villa in their FA Cup defeat.
Bet 2 - Over 2.5 goals - Middlesbrough v Chelsea @ 3/5
Boro are enduring a bit of a mid-season slump at the minute, with Carrick's side losing three of their last four, and four of their previous five at the Riverside Stadium.
Even though their home turf has not been a happy hunting ground, Tuesday's fixture presents them with their best chance to reach the final.
Fans are expected to pack into the ground, to try and make the atmosphere as daunting as possible for Chelsea's squad.
Boro have conceded at least two goals in three of their last five at home, and that bodes well for the over 2.5 market.
Chelsea have scored in eight of their previous 10 on their travels, so this contest could be entertaining from the first whistle.
Bet 3 - Raul Jimenez Over 0.5 shots on target @ 21/20
In Wednesday's semi-final, Liverpool will welcome fellow Premier League side Fulham to Anfield, in a game they should be winning, at least according to the formbook.
Jurgen Klopp's troops sit at the top of the Premier League table after a superb few months, and they have only lost two of their previous 15 matches in all competitions.
It has been 13 matches since the Reds last lost in the league, with Tottenham beating them back in September in London.
Liverpool look like they can compete for honours on several fronts, and they proved that at the weekend, as they beat Arsenal 2-0 in the third round of the FA Cup. The Gunners dominated large parts of that tie at the Emirates Stadium, but it was Liverpool who showed they had the composure when it mattered.
The most surprising aspect is that they got the job done without Mohamed Salah, who is away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Fulham have won two on the spin, including their own 2-1 success over Arsenal, but both of those victories came at Craven Cottage.
Away from home, Marco Silva's men have lost four in five in all competitions, but they did score three goals against Liverpool at Anfield at the start of December.
Striker Raul Jimenez failed to score on that occasion, but he has been in a rich vein of form of late.
The former Wolves man scored four goals in December, and he looks to have rediscovered the magic touch in front of goal.
Liverpool are without defenders Andrew Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas and Joel Matip due to injuries, so with a weakened backline, Jimenez should at least get more opportunities to score, so we expect him to register at least one shot on goal.
