AFC Bournemouth vs Middlesbrough Predictions

Middlesbrough need a big result after two home defeats in the last week and should give Bournemouth a very tough game at the Vitality Stadium on Good Friday. Chris Wilder’s side were strangely subdued last Saturday when Hull ended a 36-year hoodoo to by taking all three points on Teesside and will be desperate to bounce back on the south coast.

Isaiah Jones, arguably Boro’s biggest star this season, missed both 1-0 losses to Fulham and Hull, so his return here will give the team a lift and greatly improve their creativity in the final third. But they are set to be without talented young centre-back Dael Fry through injury and that might be a problem against a mobile and nimble Cherries attack.

Bournemouth created nothing in their 0-0 draw with Sheffield United on Saturday, but have been getting plenty of goals at home. Scott Parker’s men have found the back of their opponents net 12 times in the last six at the Vitality and should cause plenty of problems to Chris Wilder’s reshuffled defence here.

The both teams to score price looks all right here, despite Boro having kept clean sheets in their last three road games. None of those opponents have scored anything like as many home goals as Bournemouth, who have hit 38 in 19 games so far. And only two Championship clubs, in-form Fulham and Nottingham Forest, have scored more away goals than Boro in their last eight games.

The Cherries have won five of their last eight home games but have failed to win as many of their last ten, so predicting a home win at short odds is fraught with danger. Likewise, Boro have drawn as many as they have won away from home (three) since December, but have lost four times in the same period.

Two of Bournemouth’s last four home games have finished 1-1, so that looks like the best correct score play here while it also tallies with Boro having only once conceded more than one in their last seven away league games.