Newport County vs MK Dons predictions, betting tips & match preview

We head into the English League Cup Round 1 with Newport County playing hosts to MK Dons. Last season Newport finished just above the relegation zone in League Two, keeping their Football League status alive. This time round, manager Warren Feeney has expressed a desire to bring in experience during the summer break to help steady the ship and push Newport County further up the table and into more of a comfortable position. He also wants to go as far as possible in the domestic cup competitions. MK Dons were relegated from The Championship last season. They finished 23rd, just above Bolton but below Charlton.

Newport have added 3 names to the first team squad so far, including Jack Compton and Ben Tozer from Yeovil Town, with these 2 players adding strength in depth for The Exiles. Some big names have left MK Dons following their relegation to League One. Jay Emmanuel Thomas has joined QPR, Joshua Murphy has returned to Norwich City and Lee Hodson has joined Rangers.

So far, Newport have had a less than mediocre pre-season, playing 4, winning 1, drawing 1 and losing 2. They have scored 13 goals and conceded 8. MK Dons have played a staggering 9 games in July. They have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 5. Looking at those games in a little more depth, they have scored 22 goals and conceded 23.

Newport had firepower up front last season in Scott Boden who has now left to join Inverness, so it’s now time for Lenell John-Lewis & Co. to step up and find the net in this opening fixture. MK Dons top scorer Nicky Maynard scored only 7 goals in 35 games. They need extra strikers to help Maynard and score the goals they were missed last term.

Looking back at this preview, our first prediction for this fixture is a 2-1 win for MK Dons at 8/1 with bet365. We predict MK Dons will be too much for a League 2 side that merely avoided relegation from the football league last season. We also believe Newport will put everything into this tie and nick a goal. For that reason too, we are going for Over 2.5 Match Goals at 19/20 with bet365.