Football betting tips: Championship
2.5pts Middlesbrough draw no bet at 6/5 (General)
0.5pt Alan Browne to score anytime at 8/1 (bet365)
Now this is a clash to get the juices flowing.
None of this turgid top flight, long throw in, silly set piece, balls-barely-in-play tosh.
A full blooded Championship slug-fest, two of the division's heavy weights going toe-to-toe. Get ready and act accordingly.
It’s a battle between the actual top two with hosts Coventry usurped by Middlesbrough last Monday, which was no mean feat considering the Sky Blues were 10 points clear at the end of November at a time where Boro had just had their manager Rob Edwards poached by Premier League bottom side Wolves.
In hindsight, it’s probably the best thing that could have happened to Boro.
Edwards had them overachieving, they were extremely low margin and out performing the underlying data. It was not sustainable.
His act of treachery allowed Kim Hellberg to swoop in and revolutionise the side.
Under Hellberg, Boro have taken the most points in the division (31), won the most games (10), lost the fewest (3), conceded the least amount of goals (12) and scored the second most (27).
Clichéd as it may be, there are no easy games in this league (barring perhaps one unnamed exception this term) but Boro had their first proper test of the Hellberg era last Monday at Bramall Lane.
Sheffield United were unbeaten in eight league games at home heading into the clash and had scored three or more goals in six of those fixtures.
The Blades put Boro under siege for the first 20 minutes without creating too many clear cut chances before Tommy Conway opened the scoring.
The visitors won the battle in midfield, created more offensively and were defensively resolute, all while playing some very good football.
The three points in S2 puts them two clear at the top of the division heading into Monday’s clash.
Coventry opened the door for them after dropping points against the 10-men of Oxford at home last Saturday afternoon but Frank Lampard's side have been faltering for a while now.
They come into this match without a win in three league games, two wins in their last eight and four wins in 13.
The schedule has definitely played a part in this poor run. Seven of the games were away from home and that’s where the majority of the points were dropped. They’ve also played Ipswich (twice), Birmingham and high-flying Norwich across that sample.
Although this game is at home for Coventry, I certainly wouldn’t be in a hurry to back them in their current guise, not at the prices available.
I'd much rather take MIDDLESBROUGH DRAW NO BET at 6/5. I fancy the visitors to get a result but this way we get the added security of money back if it ends all square, as is so often the case in these big EFL games.
I am also going back in on ALAN BROWNE TO SCORE ANYTIME.
January’s Championship Player of the Month netted three times last month and set another goal up.
After playing a bit-part role under Edwards, he’s been one of the first names on the team sheet under Hellberg and has become a much more consistent goal threat.
Odds correct at 12:30 GMT (13/2/26)
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