Middlesbrough vs Newport County Predictions

Can Newport follow up their excellent Third Round success by progressing again this weekend? After beating Leicester, they are heading north to face Championship side Middlesbrough. Once again, the Welsh side are up against it in this cup tie. A year ago, Newport were heading to Wembley to face Tottenham in this competition, but can they continue their cup run by causing a shock in this visit to the Riverside?

Boro boss Tony Pulis has the chance to make up for their defeat against Burton in the Carabao Cup. The hosts have had an average campaign, which has left them fifth in the Championship. Their promotion bid is their main aim, but they’ve had joy in the cups this season. Boro were quarter-finalists in the EFL Cup, before that shock loss to Burton. Now they are aiming to make the last 16 of the FA Cup, and the hosts have been priced up as the favourites as they chase another success. After their 5-0 thrashing of Peterborough last time out, they will be looking for a comfortable success.

Newport hit the headlines when they edged out Leicester in a thrilling Third Round tie. The visitors don’t have their home support for this one, so they are going to have a tough time in this trip. The Welsh side are midtable in League Two, so they have a big gap to bridge as they travel to a side with Championship aspirations. They’ve already lost in three of their trips to the top four sides in the division, so we struggle to see them matching Boro in this clash.

The hosts should get a victory out of this one, and they’re heavily backed to do so. Their 5-0 thumping victory last time out suggests that they can run riot at home to a League Two side. Newport have already conceded 15 times away to the top six in their league, so we expect Boro to get among the goals here. On average, the Welsh side have conceded 1.79 goals per game against fellow fourth tier sides away from home. The only bright note for the visitors is that they’ve scored in 85% of their league games, while they’ve scored 15 times in their previous nine cup ties.

Middlesbrough have had issues at the back in the cups, keeping one clean sheet in five matches. That includes a 3-3 draw at home to Notts County and a 2-2 draw with Preston. We expect a high scoring tie here, as Newport should be able to test the home side’s defensive resolve. Over 2.5 goals is our tip for this clash, while we’re backing a 3-1 home win.