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Middlesbrough vs Leeds betting tips, BuildABet, best bets and preview
Football betting tips: Championship
1pt Anfernee Dijksteel to be carded at 5/1 (Sky Bet)
Leeds United and the month of April in the Sky Bet Championship - the Kryptonite to their promotion aspirations.
Just four wins from their last 20 second division contests at this stage (credit to @LUFCDATA on X for that one) derailed their hopes of reaching the top flight. It seems like this campaign is no different.
"Leeds are falling apart again" has replaced "we all hate Leeds" as football's national anthem and there will be a dreaded feeling of 'it is happening again' at Elland Road.
For those wondering, Leeds have won just 4 of our last 20 matches in the Championship in the month of April. 🤢
— LUFCDATA (@LUFCDATA) April 13, 2024
Having charged through 2024 to throw themselves back in the title mix, they've won one of their last five and a home defeat to Blackburn was seriously damaging to their top two hopes.
A trip to a Middlesbrough side unbeaten in nine is hardly ideal at this stage then.
Leeds have such good individual quality but an over-reliance on that presents significant problems when they are having an off-day - recent form has shown this.
This is simply must-win territory for the visitors with Leicester and Southampton all playing before, while it's a chance to apply some pressure on Ipswich who sit out this weekend due to Coventry's FA Cup involvement.
What are the best bets?
Boro can still mathematically make the play-offs but they'd need a miracle for it to happen - odds of 1000/1 are available on a top six finish with multiple bookmakers.
They trail Norwich by nine points with nine to play for, with their goal difference currently 11 worse off. Hull have played the same amount but sit three points ahead, Coventry level with a game extra.
Availability issues have plagued them throughout the course of the campaign and results against those at the top-end show they are a solid side that has lacked consistency - we must consider the Carabao Cup run too.
They also put in a solid performance when losing at Elland Road, but it's a tough ask given the players who are missing on Monday. Even with Leeds' own recent issues.
Luke Ayling can't play as he's on-loan from Leeds, so taking ANFERNEE DIJKSTEEL TO BE CARDED is an appealing bet at 5/1.
The full-back has struggled for opportunities in the second-half of the season - Ayling has been a creative force down the right - and the lack of minutes could prove to be a problem here.
He's coming up against the extremely talented Crysencio Summerville, while Leeds left-back Junior Firpo also gets forward to join the attack. Even if they switch wings, Wilfried Gnonto is likely to be the name on the other side.
Dijksteel returned at least one foul in five of his seven starts during the first-half of the season, including three when sent off in the last meeting between the sides. He also saw two tackles and six interceptions that day.
BuildABet @ 26/1
- Anfernee Dijksteel to be carded
- Crysencio Summerville 2+ shots on target
- Leeds 6+ corners
Click here to back with Sky Bet
CRYSENCIO SUMMERVILLE has been the star of this Leeds side, with the winger returning 18 goals and nine assists in all competitions this season. He's been averaging 3.1 shots per league game.
The pressure is on Daniel Farke's side to find a positive result as they aim to break back into the top two. They've taken 34 corners across their last three outings.
Team news
As mentioned above, Michael Carrick has a number of players unavailable for selection due to injury.
Marcus Forss, Riley McGree and Tommy Smith will be out for the remainder of the season, while Josh Coburn, Dael Fry, Tom Glover, Darragh Lenihan and Paddy McNair hope to feature at some stage but won't be fit for Monday.
Hayden Hackney is another doubt for the hosts. Both Ayling and Sam Greenwood can't play as they are on loan from their opponents.
For Leeds, Connor Roberts has suffered a reaction to a previous injury so will miss Monday's trip and their game at QPR. He could return for the final day clash with Southampton.
Pascal Struijk is the other confirmed player unavailable, while Stuart Dallas' long term injury has unfortunately forced him into retirement at the conclusion of the campaign.
Daniel Farke may be tempted into handing the lively Mateo Joseph a start following the Blackburn defeat - the young striker scored from the bench in the recent draw at Watford and netted twice at Chelsea in the FA Cup.
Predicted line-ups
Middlesbrough XI: Dieng; Dijksteel, van den Berg, Clarke, Engel; Howson, O'Brien; Jones, Azaz, Silvera; Latte Lath.
Leeds XI: Meslier; Gray, Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Kamara, Gruev; Gnonto, Rutter, Summerville; Joseph.
Match facts
- Middlesbrough have lost each of their last three league games against Leeds United and will be looking to avoid recording a fourth in succession for the first time in the EFL.
- Leeds United have won just won of their last four away league games against Middlesbrough (D1 L2), though that sole victory did come on their last visit to the Riverside Stadium in February 2020 (1-0).
- Middlesbrough have won just two of their last ten home league games against sides from Yorkshire (D5 L3), failing to score in four separate outings during that run.
- Leeds United have lost just one of their last eight away league games (W5 D2), keeping five separate clean sheets during that time, though they did lose their last away match 2-1 against Coventry City.
- Leeds United’s Georginio Rutter has provided six assists away from home in the Championship this season, a figure that can only be bettered by two players in the competition – Abdul Fatawu and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (both eight).
Odds correct at 1200 BST (21/04/24)
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