Two of the top teams from last season’s Championship meet in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Saturday, hoping to kick off the 2026/27 season with a win. Middlesbrough suffered play-off heartbreak, while Wrexham finished just outside the top six.With club football returning after a busy World Cup summer, now is the time to load up with some extra ammo. Over at Betfred, you can claim £50 in free bets if you’re a brand new customer creating an account this weekend. Once signed up, you simply need to place your first £10 bet on something with odds of Evens or better.These two met on the final day of the season just three months ago and drew 2-2. That result wasn’t quite enough to see the Welsh club sneak into the play-offs, after three consecutive promotions up from Non-League. They landed in 7th, which was their highest ever finish in the pyramid. The Hollywood-backed Red Dragons have had an unusually quiet summer, with full back Danny Imray their only significant addition so far.Middlesbrough, on the other hand, were slightly disappointed to finish in the play-off places – having looked on course for automatic promotion earlier in the year – but that doesn’t even tell half of the story of how their season eventually ended. They were beaten by Southampton over two legs, but were reinstated following the verdict of Spygate. They were then beaten again in the final by Hull City.Net even more value with BetfredTo take advantage of Betfred’s promotion, all you have to do is head to the site, via our link, and create a new account. Then, simply place a £10 bet on this game, or any other Carabao Cup first round tie. The £50 in free bets will be added to your account within 24 hours of that bet settling – so bear that in mind and choose something which will settle quickly if you plan on using the free bets on other cup ties this weekend, or the opening round of EFL fixtures next weekend!Little to separate two promotion chasersAll Carabao Cup ties that are level after 90 minutes will go straight to penalties in this round and every round up until the semi-finals. With these two being among the highest-ranked teams of last season to be competing in this round, the bookies believe we’re likely to see a shootout here.Both teams to scoreTie to go to penalties (draw after 90 minutes)Boro may therefore edge it as the home team in that scenario, and could debut some of their new signings – they’ve been much busier than Wrexham, adding young Spurs striker Will Lankshear as well as US internationals Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten.Understanding the offerTo qualify:Register as a new Betfred customer ahead of Middlesbrough vs Wrexham (18+, UK only)Deposit minimum £10 using debit cardPlace a £10+ bet at minimum odds of evens (2.0) within 7 days of registrationYou’ll receive:£30 to use on any Sportsbook Markets£20 to use on the Bet BuilderThese are:Credited after qualifying bet settlesValid according to Betfred’s termsKey terms and conditions of this Betfred offer Debit card deposit required (credit cards/e-wallets excluded) Qualifying bet must settle within 7 days of registration Free bets must be used on specified markets Minimum odds and selection requirements applyAbout the authorNathan HillNathan Hill is an experienced sports writer who obsessively follows football – both the round ball and American kind – as well as range of other sports including F1, basketball, darts and snooker.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply.Remember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – www.gamcare.org.ukFind our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.