Middlesbrough - Portsmouth predictions

The odds are definitely leaning in the hosts’ favour, but this match is far from a done deal. Judging by odds alone, Portsmouth may yet be able to walk away with a draw or even a surprise victory – though it’s still a longshot.

From the present standpoint, the situation is obvious. Given the strength of Middlesbrough and the 6.50 odds given to Portsmouth to win, it is clear that anything but a home win would be an unexpected upset.

Last round’s game at Derby County ended in a 1:0 defeat for Middlesbrough, despite what the online bookmakers claimed. They had issues taking control of the game throughout the entire runtime, so we can expect their confidence to be shaken going into round 3.

Most bookies were expecting the away team’s previous match to be completely one-sided, but it ended with a 0:0 draw. They went toe to toe with Luton Town throughout the game’s runtime, which is not something most Championship betting tips saw coming.

Middlesbrough’s previous two matches were quite uneventful, all things considered. They both featured only one goal – or no goals at all.

The visitors’ status as underdogs is further made worse by the exceptionally high number of injuries going into this match. Regan Poole, Tom McIntyre, Kusini Yengi, Colby Bishop, Josh Murphy, Jacob Farrell will all be unable to play at Riverside Stadium, so think twice before putting down any bets.

Going for a straight Result bet would severely limit your profits, so our advice is to throw in a -1.5 Asian Handicap for the favourites. This will still keep the odds in your favour at 1.95, but should do wonders for potential profitability.