Middlesbrough

vs

Blackburn Rovers

Preview

Middlesbrough

• Middlesbrough have won four of their last five Championship matches.
• Boro have won seven of their ten home league games this term, losing just once.
• Hellberg’s Boro look to be a team with all the ingredients for promotion to the Premier League in 2025-2026 as they occupy second spot in the Championship table with 42 points from 22 games.

Blackburn Rovers

• Rovers have three draws, one win and a defeat.
• The Rovers under Valerien Ismael, who took charge in February 2025, have been a lot more up and down, but the intensity and directness of his wing-back-based system has certainly brought energy to the club.
• Rovers are 20th in the table after 21 games with only 25 points on the board.

Head-to-Head

• Rovers edged out Boro 1-0 away in the FA Cup 11 months ago and have a good record against them.
• Boro have failed to win any of their last three home games against Blackburn.

Key Players

• Morgan Whittaker is Boro’s talisman with eight Championship goals in 21 appearances, four of the last 11 they have scored.
• Andri Gudjohnsen leads Rovers with seven in 17 appearances, while Japanese winger Yuki Ohashi has 2 of Blackburn’s last 5 goals and could trouble the home defence.

Betting Insights

• Boro are 1.8 favorites for Friday’s Championship clash against 4.33 outsiders Blackburn Rovers, but there may well be enough value on the visitors to earn a double chance return.
• Both Teams To Score is a great price at around the 1.75 mark because Rovers are always going to get a chance to get on the scoresheet against Boro, while the home side have scored 16 times in ten games at the Riverside.

Prediction

• A clash of styles is likely on Friday between Boro’s possession and control and Rovers’ chaos and intensity.
• But there is enough quality in the hosts to suggest they will eventually take control and take the three points.