MIDDLESBROUGH v PRESTON NORTH END
Saturday 26th August 2017 – Kickoff: 1500hrs
Football – England – Championship Betting Tips
Pre-season promotion candidates, Middlesbrough, will play host to eighth placed Preston North End at their Riverside Stadium with the home side looking to transfer their midweek momentum into this weekend in the Championship.
Boro came through their League Cup tie against League One outfit Scunthorpe United unscathed as they registered a comfortable 3-0 win, and they’ll be looking to build upon this recent success on Saturday, although recent results in the Championship have been inconsistent.
Recent wins over Sheffield United and Burton Albion have been overshadowed by defeats to Wolves and Nottingham Forest, although these defeats were both away from home. But on home turf, Boro are unbeaten in their last 11 and they’re a hard nut to crack at the Riverside.
Visitors Preston North End have made a reasonable start to their new Championship campaign as they sit in eighth place having gained seven points to date. However, delve a little deeper, and you’ll find that Preston’s success so far has been heavily reliant upon their home form at Deepdale.
Back-to-back wins over Sheffield Wednesday and Reading at home see the visitors in the top half of the division, but away from home, they’ve drawn 0-0 at Leeds United and suffered a 1-0 defeat at Derby County.
Indeed, Preston are without a win from their last 13 matches on their travels in the Championship, and you have to go all the way back to early January when they beat Burton Albion for their last success on the road.
Boro won the last encounter between these two sides 1-0 at the Riverside Stadium back in April, and we could see a similar result unfold here. Look for Boro striker, Assombalonga, to bounce back today following an unhappy return to the City Ground last week against former club, Nottingham Forest.
Pick: Middlesbrough to win @ 1.80 bet365
