Championship betting preview: Middlesbrough- Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves are down to eighth after their defeat, scores from elsewhere might easily leave them viewing a point as worth risking in the hunt for all three and this could get very stretched , especially late. Boro could secure a top 6 finish tonight, but that looks pretty safe anyway and just a point off the automatic places, they also have to be all out for three points. I KNOW that Boro are the better team, I have seen both live three times and you could never get me to change my mind over that, regardless of what happens this evening. The visitors have lost five ( by a combined 15-2) of six starts against top 7 teams and I saw too many heads drop in two of those defeats (Derby and Brentford............body language was terrible at times at Griffin Park......I always try to watch the reaction of players immediately after conceding) for my liking. Boro have won 14 from 18 at home when they have not trailed at half time and they have won their last five midweek home games with an average winning margin of 2.4 goals. Perhaps another cautious opening, but that should not over concern us with Boro having an amazing +24 goal difference in the second half .
Good Luck.
Championship: Middlesbrough- Rotherham United (written April 11th)
What a mess Boro have made of the run in, playing their worst football of the season at the most important time ! They are probably going to need 13-15 points to take the title now and cannot afford to drop any today, but just as important as the result now and that is wildly so, they need a performance, to win with a bit of swagger and to stop feeling a little sorry for themselves. I suspect they might get it today, Grant Leadbitter is suspended, but that is an opportunity to shake things up a bit and try something different, there is also a very good chance that they will finally be able to start with their preferred central defensive pairing of Dani Ayala and Ben Gibson, they have won the last four games that Ayala has played, losing just one in 15 with him in the line up. We were big on Boro in the reverse fixture which they won 3-0 , with Yanic Wildschut being named MOTM and singled out by United supporters as the best player to face them this season, he has been unable to claim a regular spot at Boro, which kind of highlights the difference between these two clubs and what a travesty it is that the hosts are not in a better league position.
Ahead of the reverse fixture, I gave another example of the gulf in quality between the two teams ....
.My personal jury is still out on United, I admit that I have not seen a lot of them, but what I have seen has not been good and they looked very poor defensively against Brentford/Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham, they did avoid defeat in two of those, quite how they beat Wolves even Sherlock Holmes would be unable to work out and they could/should have been three down at the break, but found a way to win 1-0. My feeling is that they have overachieved a little and are fortunate to have 17 points on board. They are hard working and fairly well organised, but this is a match teams with promotion aspirations and that is Boro, simply have to be looking for maximum points and there is a big gulf in class between the two squads. That is highlighted by Richie Smallwood, who was allowed to leave Boro, as he would not have even made the bench most games, becoming a regular since joining the Millers.
I have seen United live recently and they are very limited and today arrive without suspended central defender Craig Morgan who is a big loss and key to their backline, especially against the stronger teams, he has missed five games against top 8 clubs, the Millers have conceded two or more in each, at an average of 2.8 per game. This is a match that Boro should win with a degree of comfort and once they take the lead, it might be that United will turn their focus to a relegation battle with Fulham in midweek.
I will suggest 1.5 units Middlesbrough -1.25 ball 2.16 asian line/Sportsmarket, there is a temptation to hold off and wait for a better quote, a tactic we have used to great effect in Boro home games this season, with the hosts having a +5 first half goal difference, which rises to +22 after the break, but United are 0-7 ( scored- conceded) on the road through the opening 15 minutes ( no other Championship team has scored less that four goals in the same period) and this is one game where that policy looks dangerous and also where the hosts need to come out fast and strong.
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