The Carabao Cup first round kicks off this weekend, marking the true start of the 2026–27 domestic season with a packed schedule of knockout ties across the country.
Lower-league sides will be eyeing early upsets in a busy round of fixtures, and we’ve got the perfect treble for punters ahead of Saturday’s matches.
We can also share over £300 in free bets via sign up offers from betting sites which you can use on the football, so be sure to check them out as well.
Carabao Cup free bets & betting offers
With lots of Carabao Cup matches taking place across the weekend, including QPR vs Millwall and West Ham vs Portsmouth, now is the perfect time to get some free bets.
The free bets available from the sign up offers below can be used on any football match, not just the Carabao Cup, so that’s a bonus.
We are excited to share some brilliant sign up offers below, which give you the chance to claim over £300 in free bets. What makes these betting offers great is that with most of them, you do not need to use them all on a single game, which gives you much more flexibility in how you bet.
- Plenty of daily patriotic English focused specials
- Bet Builders available on all the biggest matches
- Best Odds Guaranteed from 8am on all UK and Irish racing
- Bets roll on to replacements when players are subbed off
- Get paid out as a winner if your team goes 2 goals up in selected leagues
- Boost your goalscorer odds in selected matches with Double Delight and Hat-Trick Heaven offers
- Early payouts with 2up&win
- Well established name you can trust
- Plenty of promotions for existing customers
- Extra Place races available
- Currently offering a big new customer free bet with code BB50
- Existing customer Bet & Get promos on sports including football & cricket
Carabao Cup betting tips
Our expert has analysed the stats and form for these Carabao Cup ties, so read on for the analysis behind his selections.
Blues can impress early on
Birmingham City travel to the Swansea.com Stadium this Saturday to kick off their 2026–27 campaign in the Carabao Cup first round, and we’re backing the Blues to secure an opening weekend away victory.
Entering the new season as a highly motivated squad, Birmingham recently built some strong momentum in a successful pre-season double-header, utilising split squads to claim convincing victories over Northampton Town and Crewe Alexandra. On top of this Birmingham beat Barcelona on penalties at St. Andrews, a result which certainly got the fans going before the season has even started.
Swansea have lost midfielder Liam Cullen to Leicester, and key man Zan Vipotnik is rumoured with a move away. That disruption could see this game come slightly too early for the Welsh club.
Birmingham are unbeaten in their last 10 meetings with Swansea, and with Jhon Solis arriving on a permanent deal and the club managing to keep hold of Jay Stansfield, we expect a strong start to their campaign on Saturday.
- New to the UK betting scene, and set to make a big impression
- Partnering with BVGroup, so customers benefit from bet builders & odds boosts
Back Derby to come out on top at home
Derby County look exceptionally well-priced to secure a victory when they host Lincoln City at Pride Park Stadium in the opening round of the Carabao Cup this Saturday.
John Eustace’s side heads into the new campaign with a settled, cohesive squad that has been working through their pre-season program since early July. While the Rams are still looking to add some attacking reinforcements following Patrick Agyemang’s long-term injury, they boast a good squad and have a strong home record in recent years.
In contrast, Lincoln City arrive in Derbyshire grappling with significant summer struggles as they prepare for a historic, newly promoted season in the Championship. While their promotion was a monumental achievement, former manager Michael Skubala left to Bristol City.
Chris Cohen has come in, but Lincoln’s squad has looked noticeably short of match sharpness and depth heading into August. The Imps are hampered by crucial absentees, with new signing Andrei Coubiș still awaiting international clearance and winter recruit Josh Honohan recovering from a nine-month injury layoff.
Alongside this, Lincoln have suffered a 3-0 loss to Barnsley in pre-season, along with a 5-1 defeat to Grimsby Town, and we suspect Derby will have too much for them on home turf.
- Daily free-to-play scratch card offers free spins & prizes
- Easy to navigate around site and mobile betting app
Reading to prove too strong
Reading look set to edge past newly promoted Bromley when the two sides meet at Hayes Lane in the Carabao Cup first round this Saturday.
The Royals arrive in strong form, having concluded their pre-season schedule with a surprise 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic at the Valley, and will look to start quick against a Bromley side still finding its footing. Bromley themselves have had a mixed pre-season, and supporters must be notably concerned after a 7-0 home defeat to QPR.
While the hosts are riding the high of preparing for their debut League One campaign, manager Andy Woodman faces a significant challenge in building immediate chemistry after bringing in 10 new signings over a heavily disrupted summer transfer window.
That heavy squad turnover, combined with key injury absences, tilts the advantage firmly toward Reading. The Royals will be welcoming their top scorer, Jack Marriott, back from injury for the match whilst also bringing in the highly-rated Kyreece Lisbie from Colchester to boost their forward-line.
It’s a game that is sure to have goals in after both teams’ lively pre-season fixtures, although we’re backing Leam Richardson’s side to come out on top in this one.
- Free-to-play football and racing predictors
- Part-own a horse with Coral Racing Club
