Middlesbrough vs Watford prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-05-03 11:30.
[p]Another EFL Championship season reaches its conclusion for Middlesbrough, and with little to play for on the final day, the home faithful will hope to see a thrilling end to what has been a rollercoaster of a campaign. Michael Carrick has contended with a major injury crisis this term, but his men recovered to post a nine-game unbeaten run which had kept them in play-off contention until their previous home game, a 4-3 defeat against Leeds.[/p]
[p]Even with nothing up for grabs in the last round, Boro posted a stunning 4-1 victory over Cardiff to conclude their away season, with two players scoring their first goals for the club in the process. Despite collecting more points on their travels (35) than at home (31), they should fancy their chances of ending their season on a high, especially as the Teessiders had posted three straight clean sheets here prior to that seven-goal thriller against Leeds.[/p]
[p]Watford will be bitterly disappointed at how the season has played out for them, with a first bottom-half finish in the Championship since 2013/14 now assured. The Hornets were at least buzzing after ending their home campaign with a win against Middlesbrough’s near neighbours Sunderland, so they’ll hope to build on that 1-0 win as they make the long journey north-east. [/p]
[p]Tom Cleverley’s side scored at least twice in all of their away league games against sides placed between fourth and tenth, although they somehow failed to win all but two of those outings (W2, D2, L2). That should provide foundations for an exciting clash in what is Cleverley’s first touchline battle against his former Manchester United teammate Carrick, with the reverse 3-2 loss indicating a similar match flow. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Alex Gilbert was the 991st of 998 players to make their debut for Middlesbrough, and he marked his first start with a goal last weekend before declaring himself “ready for this level.” Trying to stop him will be one of Watford’s best defensive prospects, 19-year old Ryan Andrews, who notched his fifth league goal contribution of the season last weekend along with being Flashscore’s highest rated player of the game. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Watford failed to win 11 of their 21 league games this season when scoring first (W10, D8, L3). [/p]