Lincoln City head to Pride Park on Saturday afternoon for their EFL Cup first-round clash with Derby County.
The two Championship teams get their seasons underway, with Lincoln having enjoyed a superb season last time out, romping to the League One title with a whopping 103 points.
Derby finished in eighth place in the second tier with 69 points, just four points off the play-off spots and will have their eyes on pushing up the table and making a play for promotion this season.
This clash will give a good indication of where the two sides stand ahead of the Championship campaign, home advantage just gives the Rams the edge ahead of this EFL Cup tie.
Derby County v Lincoln City Tips Summary
Best Bet - Derby County to win @ 19/20
Alternative Bet - Carlton Morris anytime goalscorer @ 8/5
Bet Builder - Both teams to score, Over 2.5 goals & Under 9 corners @ 15/4
Derby County v Lincoln City Prediction
Best Bet: Derby County to win @ 19/20
Lincoln were the surprise package of the 2025-26 season across English football as they broke the 100-point barrier and cruised to the League One title.
However, life in the Championship and matches against opposition from the higher echelons of the division will be a much tougher challenge than they faced last season.
The Rams were just four points off the Championship play-off spots last season and will provide a stern test for the Imps, who are under new management following Michael Skubala's departure to take the Bristol City job.
Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw have taken over as joint head coaches and face a tough assignment in their opening match.
Derby's proven Championship quality and home advantage give them the edge in what looks like being a close clash.
Alternative Bet: Carlton Morris anytime goalscorer @ 8/5
County's top scorer last season is set to lead the line for the Rams once more this campaign and will again be their talisman in attack.
Carlton Morris averaged two shots per match during the 2025-26 campaign and netted 0.51 goals per 90 minutes of action.
The former Luton Town striker is expected to be the focal point of Derby's attack for this tie and, with the likes of Joe Ward providing excellent delivery into the box, has every chance of getting on the scoresheet.
Derby County v Lincoln City Bet Builder Tip
Both teams to score
Over 2.5 goals
Under 9 corners
Pays 15/4
Lincoln scored in all but four of their matches last season and despite the jump in quality this match will provide, the Imps are more than capable of getting on the scoresheet at Pride Park.
Both teams found the back of the net in 65% of Derby's matches last season, with over half of their fixtures seeing over 2.5 goals. While 65% of Lincoln's matches saw three goals or more.
The Rams' matches in the Championship last season saw them win under five corners per match, while Lincoln were awarded on average 4.5 per match.
Backing the two sides to combine for under nine corners in this match appeals as a result.
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Key Match Stats
Derby County are unbeaten across all 18 of their home matches against Lincoln City, with 16 wins and two draws
This is the fourth tie that Lincoln and Derby have played in the League Cup, with the Imps progressing from just one of the first three
Derby have progressed from nine of their last 10 League Cup first-round ties
Lincoln are unbeaten across their last seven away League Cup first-round matches, scoring 17 goals
Derby finished eighth in the Championship last season
Lincoln topped League One last time out, amassing 103 points in the process
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
