Stoke City vs Bradford City Predictions

Stoke City vs Bradford City predictions for this EFL Cup. Stoke City host Bradford City at the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday night, with a place in the EFL Cup third round at stake. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.

EFL Cup | Aug 26 2025 at 7:45 pm UK at the bet365 Stadium

Stoke City vs Bradford City Predictions

Will Stoke’s Relentless Run Continue or Can Bradford Deliver a Cup Upset?

• Stoke’s perfect start: The Potters have won all four of their competitive games this season, scoring multiple goals in three of those fixtures.
• Bradford’s lively streak: Each of the Bantams’ three wins this season ended 2-1, underlining their ability to find goals but also to concede regularly.
• Cup pedigree clash: Stoke needed penalties to get past Walsall in the last round, while Bradford stunned Blackburn away with another trademark 2-1 scoreline.

Best Bet for Stoke City vs Bradford City

Cup football always carries an edge, but when Stoke City welcome Bradford City to the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday night, it feels like something has to give. The Potters are storming into the new season, winning four games on the bounce across all competitions, and they arrive with the confidence of a team who look like they could beat anyone right now. Beating Derby and Sheffield Wednesday was impressive enough, but taking down Southampton at St Mary’s last weekend sent a real warning shot across the Championship.

Bradford, though, are not here to simply roll over. The Bantams have been flying in League One, collecting 11 points from their first five matches and already notching wins against the likes of Wycombe, Stockport and even Luton. They also know what it feels like to upset bigger names, having knocked Blackburn Rovers out of the cup in the first round. The momentum is with them too, despite dropping two points late on at Peterborough in a game they should have won. On paper it’s Championship muscle versus League One heart, but nights like this often ignore the script.

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Best Bet for This Match: Stoke City to Win and Over 2.5 Goals

At BettingTips4You, we cut through the noise — no list of five or six different punts, just one selection we truly back. That keeps it clear for readers, ensures accountability, and means you never second-guess which pick we actually believe in. For this one, the standout bet is Stoke City to win and over 2.5 goals.

The reasoning is simple but compelling. Stoke are in frightening form, scoring freely in their last three Championship victories. Against Southampton they had limited possession but were ruthlessly efficient, with Lewis Baker and Sorba Thomas both on target. Even with Divin Mubama suspended and expected rotation bringing in fresh faces like Lamine Cisse, the Potters have enough attacking weapons to keep their goal flow going. Their style at the moment is direct, hungry and confident — a dangerous cocktail for a Bradford side who have already shown vulnerability late in matches.

Bradford, for their part, rarely play a dull game. Each of their three league wins so far has finished 2-1, and they even produced another 2-1 when they stunned Blackburn in the cup. That consistency in both scoring and conceding highlights exactly why this contest looks primed for goals. They will have attacking threats in the shape of Jamie Walker, Matt Derbyshire and Alex Pattison to test the Stoke defence, but with Andy Cook and Nick Powell carrying doubts, it’s hard to see them keeping pace if Stoke hit top gear.

Defensively, Bradford are stretched with Joe Wright still in concussion protocols and Neill Byrne sidelined. That lack of depth at the back will make it tough to contain the movement and pressing intensity Stoke now bring to every match. Even if the Bantams land a punch, it’s unlikely they’ll land enough to silence the home crowd.

As BettingTips4You.com expert Herrin Kendrick noted:

“Stoke are a machine right now — they don’t just win, they impose themselves. Bradford can score, but Stoke’s class will force a game with plenty of goals.”

The balance points to a home win with entertainment. A 3-1 Stoke victory feels the most accurate reflection of their superiority, Bradford’s pluckiness, and the recent scoring patterns of both sides.

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