Middlesbrough vs Millwall prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-01-13 15:00.
The appointment of Michael Carrick as Middlesbrough's manager has proven to be a smart decision as he’s taken them from the peripheries of the relegation zone to the play-off spots in his short tenure. With 22 points earned from his first ten league games, no Boro boss has earned more in that time since Bryan Robson on the way to earning promotion to the Premier League in 1994/95!
The Teessiders were humbled 5-1 by Brighton in the FA Cup last weekend, but that hasn’t dampened the mood around the club with a promotion push bubbling away. A solid home league record has played no small part in that success (W5, D5, L2) and with the addition of the prolific Cameron Archer on loan from Aston Villa, Carrick’s side now have “something different” up front.
Locked on points with Boro are Millwall, who are also out of the FA Cup but are keeping pace with the promotion race thanks to their four-game unbeaten run in the league (W2, D2). Consistency has been an issue though, with no consecutive wins posted since October leaving them at risk of slipping out of a group of seven sides separated by just three points.
Millwall’s relative success this season can largely be attributed to their rock-solid home record, which unfortunately comes at the detriment of their away league performances (W3, D3, L6). The Lions have the chance to post a first league double over Boro in a decade following their 2-0 win in the reverse, yet a failure to win here since 2014 is a cause for concern (D3, L3).
Players to watch: Two of only five Championship players on double figures for goals this season will be on display here. Middlesbrough’s Chuba Akpom leads the Championship scoring charts with 13 goals and has just extended his contract on Teesside, whilst Millwall’s Zian Flemming is just three behind with ten strikes, with five of the last six coming in away games.
Hot stat: Middlesbrough have avoided defeat in seven of their 13 league games when conceding first this term (W4, D3, L6).