Middlesbrough vs Luton Predictions

• Both teams have not scored in three of Middlesbrough’s last five home games.
• Both teams have not scored in eight of Luton’s last nine away Championship contests.
• Luton have scored a total of three goals across their last six league games combined.

Luton could run out of steam without Jones

Middlesbrough’s march up the Championship table should continue when they restart the campaign with a home game against Nathan Jones-less Luton on Saturday.

Jones enjoyed success in two spells at Kenilworth Road, but was tempted away by Southampton two days before the Hatters drew with Rotherham in their last game before the break. His leadership skills and attention to detail could be hard to replace – even if Luton have done well to grab ex-Forest Green and Watford boss Rob Edwards at short notice.

He will need time to assess the squad and get a handle on how they operate and it doesn’t feel like the time to be backing them to be winning at the Riverside Stadium. Boro have been reborn since Michael Carrick took over in the autumn, taking ten points from a possible 15 and only losing once.

Both teams may not bag on Teesside

That solitary defeat was in his first game and to a stoppage-time winner. Carrick took his team to Edinburgh last weekend and saw a mix-and-match line-up with several youngsters involved deservedly beat Hibernian 2-0. That continues the momentum Boro had before the stoppage and it ought to prove beneficial when the three points are won or lost this weekend.

The hosts, however, may be a touch short at odds-on in the match result market. They have won only three of ten Championship home games this season while Luton have lost only three of their ten road games to this point.

A safer play could be to back both teams not to score on Saturday as it aligns very nicely with the recent home and away stats of the respective clubs – particularly Luton who have been struggling to score goals anywhere. A 1-0 Boro win is taken in correct score betting because Carrick’s team have not yet failed to score under his stewardship while Luton have been blanked in three of their last five on the road.