The EFL Cup is also known as the English League Cup and is played with knockout matches except for the semi-final, which has two legs — teams playing home and away. These knockout matches, especially the ones with a surprise at the final whistle, are always the perfect opportunity to place online sports bets.

The EFL Cup has been known over the years by a variety of different names: Milk Cup, Rumbelows Cup, Worthington Cup, Coca-Cola, Carling Cup and Capital One Cup. Currently, beverage supplier Carabao is the sponsor, and therefore, you might know the EFL Cup as the Carabao Cup.

A trophy on display from February

The EFL Cup is a competition that starts very early in the season, with the first round of matches taking place in August. It is sometimes relevant to bet on exploits in the first rounds when all the teams are not yet at their best. Winning the EFL Cup in February acts as a great confidence booster since the winning team lifts the trophy just before the major European games as they enter the final third of the league.

Although the FA Cup is considered the main domestic cup competition for English teams, the League Cup is still a great way for managers and teams to fill their cupboards with some extra silverware.

A ticket to the Europa League for the winner

While many top clubs only take the competition seriously from the quarter-finals onwards, clubs in the lower divisions see it as a chance to compete with the big clubs and maybe get a big win. Depending on the form and the team lined up on the field, this is the ideal time to make a sports bet on the EFL Cup.

The winners of the EFL Cup qualify for the Europa League for the following season. This ticket to Europe with 4-5 wins has made winning this competition more attractive.

Consequently, the biggest Premier League teams have started to take this tournament seriously in the last few seasons. Additionally, you can make Premier League sports bets for teams with strength in depth.

Bet on the winner of the EFL Cup

Manchester City are the four-time defending champions. If you're betting on the next winner of the League Cup, you should know that bettors who have been betting on Manchester City have consistently made a good choice since 2017.

Some of the most popular odds include the score at halftime, the goalscorer at any time, and the superior/inferior goal total. If you are familiar with the lower divisions of English soccer, this can give you a significant advantage in participating in EFL Cup betting.