- Recent form: Leyton Orient have five wins, one draw and four defeats in their last ten matches in all competitions.
- Odds: Bradford City are the slight favorites at 2.46, but Leyton Orient are not far behind at 2.65.
- Recent results: Bradford have lost their last two games.
O’s are on the up and up
Recent form
Leyton Orient are the team in form going into Tuesday's EFL Cup clash at the BetWright Stadium, having won three of their last five matches and bouncing back from a cup penalty shootout escape at Walsall with a fine 5-0 away league victory over Bromley on Saturday. Yusuf Akhamrich has been on fire recently with three goals in the last five games, giving Leyton Orient a cutting edge that will be crucial against the Bantams.
Tactics
The O's can be set up in either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system and Richie Wellens, who has been in charge since March 2022, likes to play possession-based soccer and overplay in wide areas to create numerical advantages. There's a control factor to Leyton Orient's play, but they are selective in their pressing that should ensure they keep the ball when they are on top and limit the damage when they're not.
Bantams back on the road
Form
Bradford City are the favorites for this game, which is interesting because it's the visitors who tend to get the better of the cup ties. But Graham Alexander's men have been in excellent shape since he took charge in November 2023, when he brought his high-tempo pressing game. Bradford have lost their last two, at Plymouth and at home to Cambridge, but won a shootout at this level in the cup prior to that.
Tactics
The Bantams, who usually play a 3-4-2-1 system or a more flexible 4-2-3-1, try to win the ball back in the opponent's half and then break quickly through the middle. They are the kind of team that can be very exciting to watch when things are going their way and frustratingly erratic when they are not. And while Alexander's pressing game can be effective, it is also liable to be exploited by an opponent that is happy to sit back and wait for the second balls to come out.
Back the away side for victory
They have only scored three goals away from home in total across all competitions, so the value in this bet probably lies in the prospect of a cup dog fight rather than a runaway victory.
Leyton Orient have scored 1.33 goals per home match and conceded 1.67 in all competitions, which suggests the goal average will rise at BetWright Stadium with both teams looking to push on.
- Bradford have two wins and two defeats from their last four away games across all competitions, so they have some solid form to back up their favourite's role in this game.
- Orient, who have lost their last two home games, including a 1-3 defeat to Barnsley in League One at the weekend, haven't been entirely convincing on their own patch this season with two wins, one draw and three defeats.
- But Bradford's overall away form is pretty poor with just 0.75 goals per game on their travels.
