Boro and Burnley backed to beat Wolves and Blackburn in TV clashes
Published:
Sam Barnard, Assistant Sports Editor | March 3, 2016
Middlesbrough v Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Championship
- Friday, March 4th
- Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
- The Riverside, Middlesbrough
- Live on Sky Sports 1
Boro backed to get back on track
Joint-Championship favourites Middlesbrough (6/4 with Coral) head into this match with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking to return to the summit of the table, after a somewhat inconsistent run of form.
Boro (4/7 odds-on match chances) surprisingly lost last time out to Blackburn Rovers, while have only won two of their previous eight in the second-tier, but have beaten Wolves (19/4) twice before this term already.
Both times the Teesside team scored three times (3-1 in the Capital One Cup and 3-0 in the league), so take tempting odds of 29/10 for them to get that many or more again.
Wolves did win their last match, 2-1 against promotion-chasers Derby County, but lost their previous three and are a whopping 21 points before Boro.
Hosts unlikely to miss Fabbrini
The visitors will be delighted Diego Fabbrini has been sold to Birmingham City, after scoring in both matches against them this season, but Grant Leadbitter is a tasty 14/5 shout to net his fourth for the club past Wolves.
New signing Jordan Rhodes tops the anytime market at 7/5, while Albert Adomah (12/5) got a brace last time he faced them at the Riverside.
Christian Stuani and David Nugent have also been amongst the goals for Aitor Karanka’s men, and they are respective 9/5 and 7/4 shouts.
Wolves will be hoping their top scorer this term James Henry will be fit for the occasion, but David Edwards, who netted in the reverse fixture, misses out through injury. Joe Mason tops his side’s market at 7/2, though.
Burnley v Blackburn Rovers
- Championship
- Saturday, March 5th
- Kick-off: 12:30 GMT
- Turf Moor, Burnley
- Live on Sky Sports 1
Burnley to battle past rivals
Current table-toppers Burnley (at the time of writing) welcome fellow East Lancashire outfit Blackburn Rovers in the Cotton Mills Derby, after have not lost to them in their last five meetings.
Scotland-born Scott Arfield, who looks likely to earn his first Canada cap in the next international break, got the winner in the reverse fixture this season against Rovers, and is 16/5 to find the net anytime once more.
There is no doubt that Andre Gray (7/5) has been Burnley’s main man up top, having smashed in 18 goals for them so far in 2015/16, while Wales target man Sam Vokes (2/1) has ably assisted him with 10 strikes.
Blackburn lacking string talent
Former frontman Rhodes scored both of Blackburn’s last two goals against the Clarets, so they’ll have to rely on the likes of Ben Marshall (11/2) and Jordi Gomez (4/1) this time around.
Danny Graham, on loan from Sunderland, is a tasty 14/5 price to follow up from his goal that effectively beat Boro last time out.
Burnley are the even-money favourites for this occasion with Blackburn (5/2) but, as the two sides have drawn 1-1 in three of their last five head-to-heads, odds for another share of the spoils are rated at 23/10, while that scoreline again is 11/2.
Related
Coral’s top tips: Boro are a terrific 29/10 price to score three or more against Wolves, while Andre Gray is 7/5 to net anytime for Burnley against Blackburn.
