Luton vs Aston Villa betting tips and predictions for tonight’s EFL Cup 1st round match were our football tips include a handicap bet and anytime goalscorer tip.
Tonight’s televised EFL Cup game comes from Kenilworth Road as League Two Luton take on Championship new-boys Aston Villa. Can the Villains progress to the second round?
Luton Town vs Aston Villa Preview
Luton
It was the best possible start for the Hatters on Saturday afternoon. A convincing away win at a tricky ground and a clean sheet to boot. Losing Dan Potts to a late red card was the only negative for Nathan Jones.
Having goalscorers is so important at any level and Danny Hylton and Jack Marriott already look an effective partnership in the making. They both netted with a late addition from midfielder Jonathon Smith capping off the perfect day.
Alan Sheehan picked up a calf injury pre-match and is highly unlikely to feature here. Club captain Scott Cuthbert stepped in and was picked out for praise by his manager. It was a late call up for Cuthbert, who has spent pre-season shrugging off an injury. Jones will have to decide whether to risk the centre back again here or give him an extra few days to prepare for the weekend.
The Welshman has said he won’t be resting players for this tie and will make sure he puts out a team capable of winning. He praised opposite number Roberto Di Matteo, but said the Aston Villa starting 11 isn’t a concern to him and he’ll be purely focusing on his Luton side.
He also described the tie as ‘a nice distraction’ and is looking forward to his side being tested in front of the TV cameras.
Luton do look strong this season and it’s easy to see why they were fancied for promotion by many. They have quality all over the park, although any more suspensions and injuries at the back and they could find themselves a little short.
Glen Rea has been used as a defensive shield against Plymouth and in pre-season, but he is versatile enough to drop back.
Subs Jake Gray and Olly Lee may be pushing for a start against the Championship outfit.
Aston Villa
The general consensus from those at Hillsborough on Sunday is that Villa deserved something from the game. A late goal from Fernando Forestieri claimed all three points after a mistake from Villa keeper Pierluigi Gollini.
The first half was fairly non-descript, but the second half produced a decent 45 minutes of football and a draw would have been a fair outcome.
It’s a blow for the men in claret and blue, but there were plenty of positives to take away and you’d expect them to get stronger as the season goes on. Ross McCormack almost marked his debut with a goal, but for Tom Lees goal-saving tackle. It looks like Jordan Ayew is about to head south as he looks likely to join West Ham at the time of writing. It’s a blow for Villa as he was probably their only shining light last season.
The defence which was wobbly at best and hapless at worst last season held strong against a potent Owls outfit for the majority of the game and that should give the Di Matteo/Clarke management team confidence ahead of this. They certainly have the squad depth to rotate here, so it’s hard to know who will get the nod.
Jack Grealish and Aaron Tshibola will be looking for more involvement here following their cameos from the bench at the weekend. There seems plenty of transfer business unfinished in the Midlands and you get the feeling the team on Sunday will look very different to the one which lined up in South Yorkshire on Sunday.
Luton v Aston Villa Predictions
Luton are very lively indeed and they won’t make this easy for the Championship outfit. I think Villa will find the Hatters a tough obstacle and the price on Villa doesn’t tempt me at all. I’d rather take a chance on Luton on the +1 Handicap for my first football prediction on Luton vs Aston Villa tonight.
Match Prediction – Luton +1 Handicap Betting – 17/20 with SportingBet: BET HERE.
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Luton’s defence was very strong on Saturday and Aston Villa’s backline was much improved too. Luton won’t be making many changes, but Villa have plenty of options should they need them. I’m going to take a chance on both sides finding the net here and tip both teams to score for my next bet.
Goals Prediction – Both Teams to Score? Yes – 4/6 with Coral: BET HERE.
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I’d rather be backing a home player in this one. McCormack and Gestede lead the market, but both may not be risked here. Danny Hylton grabbed a goal on Saturday and is prolific in front of goal. He is sure to get a starting place in the Luton side.
Anytime Goalscorer Prediction Danny Hylton – 12/5 with Bet Victor: BET HERE.
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Jack Critchley
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