The first round of the Carling Cup gets underway this week and there are two stand-out fixtures on Tuesday evening which sees local bragging rights up for grabs in addition to a place in round two as Leeds host Bradford and Nottingham Forest and Notts County go head-to-head at the City Ground.

Leeds United v Bradford City (7.45pm)

The West Yorkshire rivals will meet at Elland Road with Simon Grayson’s Whites hot favourites to progress given that they boast Championship status, while the Bantams are languishing in League Two these days.

Despite being near neighbours the two sides have only met on 13 previous occasions and Tuesday’s match will be the second League Cup clash, with Harry Kewell’s goal sealing a narrow third-round win the last time out.

Leeds have won the last four games between the two sides in all competitions with the most recent coming in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy during the 2008/09 season when goals from Andy Robinson and Luciano Becchio secured a 2-1 success (7/1 – 2-1 Correct Score).

Leeds will have an extra incentive to secure a 10th win against Bradford on Tuesday after their lacklustre start to the season on Saturday when they went down 3-1 at Championship new boys Southampton.

However, Bradford boss Peter Jackson is determined to engineer a Cup upset (11/2 – Bradford Away 90 Minutes) to provide his players with a  springboard after they also lost their opening league game – 2-1 against Aldershot at Valley Parade.

City have only defeated Leeds once in their 13 meetings so far and that was after extra time in a Full Members’ Cup encounter way back in the 1986/87 season.

However, on the prospect of making it two, Jackson said: “It’s a big ask because they’re two divisions away and have spent millions on their team. I’ve got young kids that were free transfers – but we’ll go there with no fear.

“The pressure’s on them to do it but it’s important we go there and compete. There will be a shock in the Carling Cup and why not at Elland Road?”

We expect the Bantams to put up a good fight in this eagerly-awaited encounter, but with a crowd of over 20,000 expected – and the majority cheering on the Whites of Leeds – expect the hosts to edge through.

Prediction: Leeds Home 90 Minutes @ 4/9
Value Bet: Leeds 3-1 Correct Score @ 10/1

Nottingham Forest v Notts County (7.45pm)

Another huge derby encounter at the City Ground sees Steve McClaren’s Forest face Martin Allen’s Magpies in the two sides’ first meeting on the Red side of the River Trent since a Stan Collymore goal sealed a league win for Forest in October 1993.

Championship side Forest will hope home advantage will count in their favour – especially as their only other League Cup meeting ended in a 4-0 win (22/1 – Correct Score) at the City Ground back in October 1977.

Forest have also won four of their last five home games against County, with the other being a 1-1 draw (13/2 – Correct Score) in 1991/92.

However, Forest go into the game having been frustrated by Barnsley in their Championship curtain-raiser on Saturday with McClaren even admitting following the goalless draw that he does not yet have the attack in place to mount a promotion push.

Dutch winger Wesley Verhoek from ADO Den Haag and West Brom forward Ishmael Miller are set to come in, but Forest will struggle to get them on board in time for this game.

The Magpies are flying high after opening their League One campaign with a 3-0 win at Carlisle United and Allen feels he has assembled a squad that could banish the memory of last season’s relegation battle.

“There is a great team spirit here and that’s very pleasing,” he told BBC Radio Nottingham.

And as County bid for a first win on their rivals’ soil (9/2 – Away 90 Minutes) since a 2-0 success in January 1982, Allen played down their chances while the loss of striker Lee Hughes to a slight ankle knock could end any hopes they might have had of winning the tie.

“We’ll go over there to try to enjoy the occasion. It will be a hell of a shock if we were to get something,” Allen said.

Had Hughes been involved we could have predicted a tight game with the potential of an upset, but Forest should have enough to get through.

Prediction: Forest Home 90 Minutes @ 4/7
Value Bet: Forest 1-0 Correct Score @ 6/1

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