talkSPORT tips – Best football bets and expert advice for Friday 7 August

Domestic football in England returns on Friday as the EFL Cup first round takes centre stage.

Middlesbrough welcome Wrexham to the Riverside in a marquee first-round game set to be screened live on ITV, while Wolves face Port Vale and Wycombe host Stevenage, while there’s also action in the Scottish Championship.

Here’s our best bet of the day, best value bet builder and a sneaky longshot 15/1 acca for you to check out… 

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Bet of the Day

Livingston to beat Partick Thistle @ 15/8

Both Partick Thistle and Livingston started their Scottish Championship seasons with wins. Livi were dominant in a 2-0 defeat of Queen’s Park – winning the shot-count 20-6 – with Robbie Muirhead’s second-half brace making the difference on their return to the second tier.

These two sides are fancied to be Championship contenders this season north of the border. They met in a relegation play-off semi-final in May, with Livi winning 2-0 home and away and they can grab an early season booster here.

Bet Builder

Both teams to score in Middlesbrough vs Wrexham, Will Lankshear anytime scorer & Under 9.5 corners @ 23/4

Middlesbrough and Wrexham meet in the EFL Cup in their first competitive games since May.

The final game of the regular Championship season saw these sides drawing 2-2 at the Racecourse Ground, with the Teessiders going on to lose in the play-off final and the Red Dragons missing out on a top-six finish because of that draw.

Both teams scored in both league meetings last season and a repeat is forecast now. Wrexham have beaten Manchester United and Leeds United in pre-season, while Boro have scored in all three games without winning, including a 3-3 draw with Espanyol here last weekend.

Striker Tommy Conway is a doubt for the hosts so boss Kim Hellberg may give summer signing Will Lankshear a competitive debut up front. He hit double figures in the Championship despite Oxford United being relegated last season and can net here.

Both meetings last season came in under 9.5 corners and a similar single-digit count is forecast to complete the bet builder.

Acca

Wolves, Stevenage and Wrexham all to win @ 15/1

Wolves have won three of their four pre-season friendlies, scoring seven times as they beat Maidenhead, Doncaster Rovers and Racing Santander, while losing to Real Sociedad.

The Old Gold will be amongst the likeliest Championship winners as they return to the second tier and should have enough to ease past League Two Port Vale at Molineux.

Stevenage had one of the tightest defences in League One last season, conceding just 46 goals in 46 games before losing in the play-offs. They were 12 points better off than Wycombe and can win at Adams Park.

Wrexham are a tasty price at 10/3 to turn over Middlesbrough. Both meetings last season ended level and Phil Parkinson’s side has a settled look to it, whereas Boro have made changes this summer, including losing key midfielder Hayden Hackney to Everton.

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Odds correct at time of publish and subject to change.

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