Middlesbrough are aiming to snap a recent slump as they welcome Norwich City to the Riverside Stadium for a Friday night Championship fixture. Although things have been difficult lately, Boro have remained solid at home and should have the edge over the visitors, who continue to be erratic.
Middlesbrough are in the middle of a rough patch having claimed just one win in their last five Championship matches. They have suffered two defeats in that run and fought back from two goals down to battle to a 2-2 draw with Bristol City in their previous fixture.
While this has been their poorest spell under manager Michael Carrick, Middlesbrough still remain in the mix for a playoff finish. They are currently fourth on the table, six points clear of Preston North End, who are just outside the playoff places.
One positive for Middlesbrough in the midst of their difficult patch is that the Riverside Stadium has remained a solid hunting ground. They have lost just once in their last 10 Championship home matches, claiming eight wins in that run.
Norwich City have also not been at their best lately and head into Friday’s clash with just one win in their last six matches. They good news is that they have lost just once in that run and were held to a 0-0 draw by Rotherham United in their previous Championship fixture.
That poor run has put a dent in Norwich City’s playoff hopes as they have now dropped to eighth on the table. However, David Wagner’s men are still alive in the race as they sit just one point off the top six, although a swift turnaround in fortunes is needed.
One thing that will give Norwich City confidence heading to the Riverside Stadium is their recent record on the road. They are unbeaten in their last five away matches, although only two of those fixtures have been wins.
How the bookies view it
Middlesbrough have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 19/20 by William Hill to claim the win. A victory for Norwich City is valued at 29/10 by Unibet while a draw is set at odds of 5/2 with Paddy Power.
Head to head
Norwich City have a 12-11 advantage with nine draws from 32 previous matches against Middlesbrough. However, Boro picked up a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in November.
Players to watch
Chuba Akpom failed to get on the score sheet last time out but remains the leading scorer for Middlesbrough with 26 Championship goals. The forward had scored 10 times in the previous nine matches and is priced at 13/10 by Paddy Power to find the net on Friday.
Following the announcement that he will be leaving Norwich City in the summer, the final few games will feel like a goodbye tour for Teemu Pukki. The striker will be keen to end his time on a high note and could backed at 13/5 by bet365 to add to his 10 Championship goals.
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams were on target in the reverse fixture and a similar outcome is priced at 4/5 by William Hill. That meeting also produced over 2.5 goals which is valued at 10/11 by William Hill while Unibet is offering odds of 9/4 for over 3.5 goals.
Middlesbrough have scored in both halves in two of their last four home matches and Friday’s clash could be tipped to follow a similar pattern at 2/1 with bet365.
This England Championship match between Middlesbrough and Norwich City will be played on Apr 14, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Middlesbrough vs Norwich City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
