Tuesday sees the first of the Carabao Cup semi-finals with Tottenham welcoming Brentford. Tom Carnduff picks out his best bets.
Football betting tips: Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final
1pt Harry Kane to assist 1+ goals at 9/4
0.5pts Harry Kane to assist Son Heung-min and Son Heung-min to assist Harry Kane at 25/1
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Tottenham v Brentford
- 19:45 GMT on Sky Sports Main Event
- Match odds: Home 4/9 | Draw 10/3 | Away 11/2
Brentford's place in the semi-finals of this competition may not surprise some given their showings last season, narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier League, but they have done well to beat multiple top-flight opposition along the way.
For Tottenham, a spot in the final will be a significant achievement considering their fixture list at the beginning of the campaign. Playing every other day in September, it seemed clear that Jose Mourinho would sacrifice this competition in order to focus on the league and Europa League.
Instead, they managed to navigate a tricky period with a good position on all three fronts; their third-round tie being called off certainly helped.
Mourinho is aware of the importance of this fixture, responding to a reporter's question on whether this is his biggest game as Spurs boss by saying: "The club has been chasing silverware for many years, I would say so."
The bonus for Tottenham is that the FA Cup takes them to non-league side Marine so that will present the opportunity to make changes, allowing Mourinho to play a number of first-team regulars against Brentford with the aim of booking their spot at Wembley in April.
A strong side may be required anyway given absence Giovani Lo Celso and Gareth Bale, among others. Those hoping for minutes will have to wait a few days longer and that should stretch to Carlos Vinicius, with Harry Kane expected to lead the line as he did against Stoke in the last round.
I'm not going to waste any time trying to explain what everyone knows, Kane is one of the world's best strikers and has adapted to a slightly different role under Mourinho. He isn't solely relied on for goals and his willingness to drop deeper has led to a huge tally of 14 assists across all competitions.
The England captain's connection with Son Heung-min was evident in their victory over Leeds with the former finding the latter to score. They are well on their way to making history as the Premier League's most prolific duo, a partnership that should extend to this contest.
Kane's altered role under Mourinho is evident in the fact that he only posted two assists last season. There is every chance he finishes this campaign with near enough the same number of assists as goals and that is why the 9/4 available with Sky Bet on him having at least one assist on Tuesday night just looks too generous - particularly when factoring in that he is odds-on to score anytime.
Sticking with Sky Bet's markets, with a strong Spurs side expected and potential Brentford changes, even if they had the weekend off, the 25/1 on Kane to assist Son and Son to assist Kane is a fun bet with the potential for huge rewards.
This is a bet that has landed in Tottenham's Premier League contests against Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham.
The duo have a clear understanding and, while the Bees have the potential to be tough to beat, it is worth a small stake on the Kane/Son duo combining once again.
In terms of the outright result, it's difficult to look past what should be a strong Tottenham side. Rather than take the odds-on price available on victory in 90 minutes, backing a home win with over 2.5 goals in the match takes the price to even money.
But instead of taking the result, the best bets can be found in Spurs' influential attacking duo.
Score prediction: Tottenham 2-1 Brentford (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)
Best bets: Tottenham v Brentford
Odds correct at 1215 GMT (04/01/20)
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