Hull vs Middlesbrough prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-04-09 18:45.
[p]Fábio Carvalho was the main man on Saturday as his brace helped Hull City secure a hard-fought 3-1 triumph over Cardiff City to end a six-game winless run (D4, L2) and keep their fading Championship play-off dreams alive. Another victory seems imperative, as with five matches of the regular season remaining, the Tigers welcome a Middlesbrough side with identical ambitions who sit level on points. [/p]
[p]To leapfrog their close rivals, Hull must end a torrid five-game home winless run (D3, L2), although a solid record across the last 15 H2Hs on their own patch suggests that they may have Boro’s card marked (W7, D5, L3). Striking first will potentially prove crucial in getting a positive result as after going unbeaten in the first three home league encounters of the season when conceding the opener, Liam Rosenior’s side have lost each of the six matches since when doing so. [/p]
[p]It was another strong round for Middlesbrough as a 2-0 win over a frankly tragic Swansea City extended their unbeaten sequence to seven games (W5, D2) – their joint-longest streak of this Championship campaign. Five of the last six matches in that run also saw Michael Carrick’s men shut their opponents out, but they will do well to do so again at the MKM Stadium in the first of three massive games which will likely determine their top-six fate.[/p]
[p]Thoughts of clashes against Ipswich Town and Leeds can wait though, especially as Middlesbrough have the chance to reach ten away league wins in a season for the first time since 2018/19. That could be difficult however, as while Boro travel here following three unbeaten away games (W2, D1), they have lost four of their five contests this season (W1) against sides beginning this round within three points of themselves. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Carvalho’s opener at Cardiff was his fifth scoring appearance from six in which he has hit Hull’s first goal. As for Boro, Emmanuel Latte Lath stole the headlines again with his double against Swansea to make it ten league goals during his debut Championship season. He’s also netted his team’s opener in his last three scoring appearances. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Middlesbrough are unbeaten in more than half their league games as pre-match outsiders this season (W5, D1, L5). [/p]