Bournemouth host Middlesbrough in the Championship with both clubs looking to end recent poor runs. The Cherries will be banking on their record at the Vitality Stadium and although Boro have shown some quality on their travels, the home side are still expected to come out on top.
Bournemouth were held to a 0-0 draw by Sheffield United last time out in the Championship. That result means they are now winless in their last two matches having suffered a 2-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion in their previous fixture.
Although things appear to be rough at the moment for Bournemouth, they still have automatic promotion in their own hands. Scott Parker’s men are currently second on the table, four points above Huddersfield Town having played two games less.
The good news for Bournemouth is the previous two matches have been away from home. They are unbeaten in their last six home matches, claiming four wins in that run, including a 3-2 victory over Bristol City in their previous fixture at the Vitality Stadium.
Middlesbrough were dealt a major blow in their playoff quest last time out as they went down 1-0 to struggling Hull City. Despite seeing more of the possession, they lacked the cutting edge in attack and generally struggled to create too many clear-cut openings.
That defeat means Middlesbrough missed the chance to move into a playoff place despite other results going their way. As it stands, Chris Wilder’s men are eighth on the table, three points off the top six.
Beyond the defeat to Hull City, Middlesbrough have had little to cheer about in recent weeks and have suffered three defeats in their last four matches across all competitions. However, they have won their last two away matches, although both wins have been against struggling sides Birmingham City and Peterborough United.
How the bookies view it
Bournemouth have the upper hand among the bookies with a home win valued at 17/16 with SBK. A victory for Middlesbrough is priced at 3/1 by bet365, who are also offering odds of 5/2 for a draw.
Recent head to head
Middlesbrough claimed a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth in the reverse fixture back in December. However, the Cherries have won the last four matches at the Vitality Stadium with the most recent meeting ending 3-1.
Players to watch
Although Bournemouth are without a goal in their last two matches, Dominic Solanke could still be worth keeping an eye on having scored 24 Championship goals this season. The striker has found the net in his last three matches at the Vitality Stadium and is priced at 8/5 by Paddy Power to maintain that scoring run.
Middlesbrough also have some quality going forward with Duncan Watmore among the goals in recent times. The attacker was on target in their previous away fixture at Peterborough United and is priced at 7/2 by bet365 to find the net on Friday.
Anything else catch the eye?
The last meeting at the Vitality Stadium produced over 3.5 goals and given the quality in attack, a similar outcome could be in the cards at 11/4 with bet365. Over 2.5 goals is valued at 17/16 by SBK, who are also offering 5/6 on both teams to score.
Bournemouth have scored in both halves in two of their last three home matches and could be set for a repeat at 23/10 with Coral.
This England Championship match between Bournemouth and Middlesbrough will be played on Apr 15, 2022 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Bournemouth vs Middlesbrough prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
