- Leicester are odds-on favourites at 17/50 to beat Northampton in the EFL Cup 2026-2027 first-round at King Power Stadium.
- Northampton are the club coming in at 7/1, with the draw at 41/10.
Leicester are rightful favourites against Northampton
This is a fascinating Carabao Cup first-round fixture on paper as Leicester boss Russell Martin's possession-based system of football will come up against a lower-league side that appear to play by a similar principle. However, Leicester should have the edge in this one if they can turn possession dominance into enough chances to win the game - and that is what the odds say should happen.
Martin has been Leicester's boss since 1 July 2026 and has implemented a possession-first system with a flexible framework built around playing out from the back. They press when they need to and look to get the ball high up the field as much as possible, which should keep Northampton pinned in their own half.
Leicester's recent five-match form has been mixed (W1, D3, L1), but they come into this fixture on the back of a good 1-0 away win over Blackburn Rovers in the Championship. They will be looking for their first home win in five games (D3, L2) against a Northampton Town side that are in deep trouble.
Cobblers have scored just four goals in their last five road games
Chris Hogg's Northampton are also possession-minded protagonists and, since he took charge on 1 July 2026, he has wanted his team to play compact build-up and pressing styles, while also being capable of playing direct football when the game situation demands.
Northampton's recent form is D1, L4 in their last five matches and they arrive here after a 2-3 home defeat to a good Plymouth Argyle side in League One. Across their last 10 matches in all competitions, Northampton are D1, L9, so this will be a massive shock result if they can get the better of the Foxes.
Leicester should win, but the market is still keen on goals
The market looks right on Leicester to boss the ball and Northampton to be grateful of their chances in this clash at King Power, but the 17/50 mark is a little short for our taste. The odds are certainly stacked in the Foxes' favour and the play-in market looks a little odd, so our focus will be on a home win, even though we're yet to be convinced that Leicester will get their first win in five at home.
Over 2.5 goals is available at 53/100 and BTTS - Yes at 4/5 are both pretty short odds given Leicester's superior quality and Northampton's struggles, but we have to admit that the BTTS - No market is only 93/100, which is short enough to take.
Leicester have scored 1.20 and conceded 1.80 goals per game at home across all competitions this season, which is not ideal for a team that prides itself on controlling the play. But Northampton have only scored four goals in their five away matches this season, so their attacking threat is pretty limited.
