MIDDLESBROUGH vs STOKE CITY
Friday 20thDecember 1945hrs
Football – England Championship
Pick Middlesbrough AH+0.5
Bookmaker bet365
Odds: 1.55 (odds taken 22:38 GMT, 19 December )
The Championship returns on Friday night with a relegation clash between Middlesbrough and Stoke City as the betting tips continue at the Riverside Stadium.
Middlesbrough vs Stoke City Live Stats & Betting Odds
Middlesbrough Prediction – Can Middlesbrough bounce back at Riverside?
Although they suffered a heavy 3-1 defeat away at Swansea City last weekend, Middlesbrough will be reasonably confident that they can bounce back with a win on Friday night, or at the very least, take a point off visitors Stoke City when the two teams clash in this bottom five encounter in the Championship.
Recent results have produced a mixed bag for Middlesbrough who have captured much needed wins against Barnsley and Charlton Athletic, but have also suffered defeats to high-flying Leeds United and Swansea City.
However, Jonathan Woodgate’s Boro outfit have turned their fortunes around on home turf at their Riverside Stadium in recent weeks as the hosts have put together a 4-match unbeaten run which includes the aforementioned wins against Barnsley and Charlton but also points picked up in draws with Fulham and Hull City.
An overall home record of 4-4-3 9/10 gives Boro a chance of getting something out of this upcoming fixture, and the hosts have lost just 1 of their last 6 matches at home (v league leaders, West Brom).
Stoke City Prediction – Can Stoke continue recent lift in form?
Stoke City earned a point in a dour 0-0 stalemate with fellow strugglers Reading last weekend at their bet365 Stadium but this point followed a previous 3-0 home win over Luton Town to hand Michael O’Neill’s side a much needed 4-point haul from their last two games in the Championship.
The visitors had previously suffered 3 defeats on the trot in the second tier with losses to Cardiff City, Blackburn Rovers and Hull City which had threatened to plunge Stoke closer to the bottom of the division, but the recent positive results mean they’re just 2 points behind fourth from bottom Luton Town ahead of this trip to Middlesbrough.
There’s still a lot of work ahead for Stoke though as The Potters possess a poor away record of 2-1-7 10/17 which includes losing 4 of their last 5 matches on the road with losses incurred at Sheffield Wednesday, Millwall, Cardiff City and Hull City, but they did manage to record a 4-2 win at bottom club Barnsley in between the defeats.
Key-Facts – Middlesbrough vs Stoke City
- Middlesbrough have lost just 1 of their last 6 matches at home in the Ch’ship
- Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last 4 matches at home
- Stoke have lost 4 of their last 5 matches away from home in the Ch’ship/li>
Betting Tips Verdict
Middlesbrough’s results have picked up at home and they should grab at least a point here.
