Oxford United
- Oxford United’s prospects for Saturday’s visit of Middlesbrough in the Championship are slim at best, with their head coach Gary Rowett unlikely to deviate much from his pragmatic system that has seen the U’s collect just 13 points from 15 fixtures.
- The U’s will set up in a compact 4-2-3-1 with a strong focus on keeping things tight at the back, pressing their opponents in their own half and exploiting set-piece and counter-attack opportunities.
- Oxford United’s form is poor, with just 1 win in their last 5 Championship matches, including 2 consecutive defeats, but our Oxford United vs Middlesbrough betting tips suggest there may still be value in certain markets this week.
- Oxford have managed just 1 win, 3 draws and 3 defeats in 7 home Championship matches, averaging 1.00 goals per game scored and 1.57 conceded.
Middlesbrough
- The visitors sit second in the Championship table with 29 points from their 15 games, and they have better form than the hosts with 2 wins, 2 draws and just 1 defeat in their last 5, including a 2-1 victory at home to promotion-chasing Birmingham City.
- Viveash’s side can play a more patient game when necessary, but the recent managerial turnover at the club seems to have seen Boro adopt a more high-tempo, high-intensity game with greater pressing.
- The visitors have dominated the head-to-head in recent times, winning their last 2 meetings.
Head-to-Head
Middlesbrough have won both of their last two matches against Oxford United , including a 2-1 home win seven months ago. This Oxford United vs Middlesbrough prediction is therefore weighted firmly in the away side's favour.
Key Players
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Will Lankshear leads the way for Oxford United with 5 goals in 14 Championship appearances.
- He has scored 2 of their last 5 league goals.
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Hayden Hackney has 3 goals in 15 games for Boro.
- He has scored 2 of their last 5 Championship goals.
Betting Insights
- Boro are priced 2.04 and Oxford United are 3.64 as underdogs, and this is reflected in the Oxford United vs Middlesbrough betting tips for the fixture.
- The bet that catches our eye is Both Teams to Score at 1.81.
Prediction
- The visitors’ superior league position, recent form and momentum make them clear favourites to take all three points.
- However, Oxford’s set-piece threat and ability to clog the midfield with their compact 4-2-3-1 means the hosts could well cause Boro problems on Saturday.
