Derby vs Middlesbrough Predictions

Goals could be at a premium when Derby take on Middlesbrough at Pride Park on Thursday, with under 2.5 goals looking the best bet. Three of the last five Championship matches between this pair have stayed under 2.5 goals.

Middlesbrough are second in the Championship, 12 places and 11 points above Derby, having won 12, drawn seven and lost five of their 24 games this season. The hosts are 14th with eight wins, eight draws and eight defeats.

Middlesbrough have won their last two Championship clashes with Derby, but the visitors’ recent form has been inconsistent, with three wins, one draw and two defeats in their last six games.

Middlesbrough dominated possession in their 1-0 defeat to Hull on Monday, keeping up their run of matches with under 2.5 goals. They restricted Hull to one shot on target, but the result means they have failed to win three of the six games in which they have been priced odds-on this season.

Middlesbrough have played three Championship games in a row with fewer than three goals, suggesting that this could be a cagey affair.

Middlesbrough won the last Championship clash between the teams 2-1, but at least one of them blanked in four of the previous six meetings. A 1-0 Middlesbrough win looks a decent correct-score pick.

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Edited by Mark Langdon