Middlesbrough vs Birmingham Betting Tips

Boro are currently 2nd in the table and with leaders Brighton playing 3rd place Derby on Saturday, they are guaranteed to make ground on at least one of their promotion rivals if they can win this one.

They have won their last 3 matches in the league, keeping clean sheets on each occasion and in the grand scheme of things a Capital One Cup defeat to Everton may not have been terribly bad news. Their last two wins have both been on the road but they will still be glad to get back to the North-East where they have a formidable record in this division.

They have only conceded 2 goals at the Riverside in 9 Championship outings this term and they’ve won 6 of their last 7 home games and 75% of their wins in the league this season have been by more than 1 goal. Therefore even before you consider Birmingham’s dip in form, the home team look good value at 1.950 when starting with a -1.0 Asian Handicap.

Birmingham’s bright start to the season is in danger of becoming a distant memory after 3 straight defeats which have brought Gary Rowett’s men back down to Earth with a bit of a bump. Home defeats to struggling Charlton and Huddersfield have been particularly damaging although they can take some comfort from the fact that they are stronger on the road.

They’ve only lost twice away from St Andrews in the league this term although those results have come in their last 3 away matches against Hull and Brighton.

Against another side in the top 4 it is hard to see the outcome being any different and a solid 2-0 home win looks good value at 11/2.