Prediction Newcastle United vs Bradford City 2025/2026 season – Betting Tips for the Carabao Cup on 24/09/2025

Clash at St. James' Park: big favourites but dangerous visitors

Newcastle United welcome Bradford City to St. James' Park on 24 September in what promises to be an intriguing third-round Carabao Cup tie. On paper the tie looks one-sided: the bookmakers have installed Newcastle as overwhelming favourites with home odds of 1.10 and an implied probability north of 90%. Still, the early-season form lines and recent results make this more than a walkover on paper. Thomas Kirk will take the whistle for a match staged in front of a full house at the 52,409-capacity St. James' Park, and the Magpies will want to avoid a cup scare on home turf.

Form and recent meetings

Newcastle arrive off a mixed run of results. Their most recent outing finished goalless away to AFC Bournemouth, and that clean sheet followed a narrow 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and a Champions League defeat to FC Barcelona. Across the last ten fixtures the club’s record reads as a struggle for consistency: one victory, five draws and four defeats, a sequence that underlines defensive solidity at times but also a lack of cutting edge and momentum. Sandro Tonali was the standout performer in the draw at Bournemouth, earning a 7.36 rating in that match.

Bradford City, by contrast, fly into the north-east with a confidence-lifting sequence of results from League One. Recent wins over Cardiff City (3-1), Huddersfield Town (3-1) and Grimsby Town (2-1) highlight a side that is finding the net regularly. Their recent form summary shows eight wins, one draw and one loss across the latest ten matches, with Bobby Pointon singled out as Bradford’s best performer in their last league victory with a 7.66 rating. While the teams haven’t met competitively for some years — the last recorded meeting was a 2017 friendly won by Newcastle — the Cup offers Bradford a chance to cause an upset.

How the tie might unfold

Expect Newcastle to control possession and territory, pressing to impose themselves on the game and take advantage of home conditions. Bradford will travel with belief and an upward swing in confidence, likely to look for moments on the counter and set-piece opportunities where they have recently been productive. The statistics available for Bradford’s recent matches show plenty of shots and goals, suggesting they can test Newcastle if allowed space. Newcastle’s recent run of draws and narrow scorelines warns that a soft defensive display could make the tie closer than the odds suggest.

Prediction: the weight of expectation, the home setting and the bookmakers’ market strongly favour a Newcastle victory. However, Bradford’s form indicates they will not be pushovers and could trouble the Magpies if Newcastle fail to find their rhythm early.

Betting suggestion: Best bet (1X2): Newcastle United to win. The market price of 1.10 reflects home advantage and the bookies’ view; given the form contrast and venue, a Newcastle victory is the most probable outcome. Consider a conservative stake given cup volatility.