Brentford v Newcastle EFL Cup predictions: free betting tips and where to watch

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Brentford v Newcastle in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Football, 5.30pm Tuesday

Best bets

Brentford
2pts 29-20 Betfair

M Forss to score at any time
1pt 7-2 Betfair, Paddy Power

Team news

Brentford
Pontus Jansson, Mads Rasmussen and Shandon Baptiste are out. Henrik Dalsgaard is a doubt. Ethan Pinnock is available after a ban.

Newcastle
Martin Dubravka and Allan Saint-Maximin are out. Federico Fernandez, Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar are also likely to miss the game.

Match preview

Thomas Frank's Brentford have taken out three Premier League clubs on their way to their first League Cup quarter-final and they can make it four by seeing off Newcastle.

Unbeaten in 13 matches, the Bees are in seriously good form, full of confidence and, contrary to Frank's insistence, they are not the underdogs for this showdown with the Magpies.

The bottom line is that Brentford, who have toppled Southampton, West Brom and Fulham on their way to the last eight, look worthy favourites against a Newcastle side who are creaking.

Promotion is inevitably Frank's main preoccupation this term after last season's near-miss but he has sent out strong sides in this competition and has a big enough squad to be able to cope with the demands.

Newcastle's squad, in contrast, is being stretched to breaking point. A Covid-19 wave swept through St James' Park earlier this month and the repercussions are still being felt with several players suffering the after-effects.

Steve Bruce, as always, is under pressure, a situation not helped by three pretty wretched performances building up to this game - a fortunate win over West Brom, a late capitulation at Leeds and a spawny draw against Fulham.

Their holiday programme is about as daunting as it comes – Manchester City away followed by Liverpool and Leicester at home – and there is little about the way Newcastle play to get excited about.

Bruce will have to make changes to his side while being acutely aware that there's a cup semi-final up for grabs but he's in a really difficult position.

That Brentford will be positive and look to play on the front foot possibly plays into Toon hands – Bruce does have pacy aces on the counter to feed Dwight Gayle, who looks set for a rare start.

Frank has a selection dilemma over Ivan Toney, the former Magpie who didn't make the grade on Tyneside but has looked well up to the task since at Scunthorpe, Peterborough and Brentford, for whom he has bagged 16 in 20 Championship outings this term.

The BMW (Benrahma, Mbeumo, Watkins) strikeforce has been dismantled – just Bryan Mbeumo is left – but Toney has been an outstanding replacement while Marcus Forss looked a player with a massive future on loan at Wimbledon last year and has returned to Brentford and proved he has goals in him.

Forss has started in the League Cup games and should fancy his chances against a Newcastle defence which is a long way from full strength.

Key stat

Newcastle have managed just one clean sheet in their last 12 matches.

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