Capital One Cup Tips: Boro can pull off a mini upset in North East showdown

Can the Boro boys get one over on local rivals Sunderland?

Andy Tongue predicts more woe for Martin O'Neill's Sunderland at home to Middlesbrough, in the pick of the night's Capital One Cup action

The evening's Capital One Cup programme promises five games with plenty of intrigue and potential punting angles. I've previewed Reading v Arsenal in depth, but there is plenty of value to be found in the other fixtures.

The game that catches the eye is the tasty North-East derby between Sunderland and Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light.

The home side have won just once this season, drawing six times and losing once, but the key stat is they have scored only six goals in nine games. Steven Fletcher has scored five of them so stop him and you can stop Martin O'Neill's men. They won comfortably enough at MK Dons in the third round but Boro are a step up from those opponents, climbing nicely into third place in the Championship after Saturday's win at home to Bolton.

They will be roared on by a decent following from Teeside and have to be backed to take something from the game. A Boro win at 5.59/2 is tempting but we'll settle for laying the home side at a skinny 1.75/7 with high hopes of getting paid out.

Aston Villa were disappointing again at home to Norwich on Saturday and ended up hanging up for a point having been reduced to ten men. Paolo di Canio's Swindon are going well enough in League One and while Paul Lambert is expected to put out a strong side for Villa, there are enough issues in their camp currently (Darren Bent's alleged falling-out with the boss to the fore) for the visitors to be a lay at 2.3411/8.

Leeds entertain Southampton having disposed of Everton at Elland Road in the last round and will fancy their chances of claiming another Premier League scalp in the form of the struggling Saints.

But a skinny price of 2.6213/8 for a home win suggests that is more than factored into the price, so we'll look elsewhere for a recommended bet. Before Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Birmingham, Leeds had scored in every home game this season and we expect them to get on the scoresheet against the visitors' leaky defence. Nigel Adkins men have scored freely enough themselves despite their travails thus far so both teams to score looks nailed on in this one.

The final game of the evening sees Wigan at home to Bradford and we'd expect a fairly comfortable home win for Roberto Martinez's side against a side who have already been beaten five times in League Two this season. But at 1.32 the Latics seemed priced about right so it's one to add to your multiple rather than bet on individually for us.

Best Bet
Lay Sunderland at 1.75/7

Other Recommended Bets
Lay Aston Villa at 2.3411/8

Leeds vs Southampton. Back both teams to score at 1.538/15