Free betting tips: Sky Bet Championship - Blackburn Rovers v Middlesbrough
There's one game in the Sky Bet Championship on Sunday. Tom Carnduff picks out two best bets for the clash at Ewood Park.
Recommended bets
1pt Bradley Dack to score anytime at 5/2
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Blackburn v Middlesbrough (Ewood Park, 1300 GMT, Sky Sports Football)
When you're a side who pride themselves on defence, the one phrase you don't want to hear your manager say is "we've run out of defenders."
Yet, that's the problem facing Middlesbrough when they travel to take on play-off outsiders Blackburn in Sunday's solo Sky Bet Championship game.
Boro will be without Daniel Ayala, who was sent off in their defeat to Sheffield United last time out alongside Aden Flint, who was forced off through injury in the first-half of that game at Bramall Lane.
That is alongside Danny Batth's departure during the January transfer window, with Middlesbrough failing to bring in a replacement before the deadline.
Speaking to the media before the game, Boro boss Tony Pulis said: "We’ve run out of defenders, I know that. We’re going to have to sit and look at it and decide which is the best way to go. We’ve got what we’ve got and we’ve got to get on with it."
That should play into the hands of Blackburn, even with Darragh Lenihan's absence in the side. It's likely that Tony Mowbray will stick with the Charlie Mulgrew/Jack Rodwell partnership at the back.
Blackburn may have lost their last two, but as Mowbray said in his pre-match press conference, the game against an in-form Bristol City could have gone either way while they only lost out by one-goal away at a Reading side who are battling the drop.
At a general price of 2/1, the value is definitely there in backing a Blackburn side with attacking talent to exploit the defensive issues of the opposition.
Bradley Dack has carried over his great form from the League One era and it's little surprise to see him linked with a move to the Premier League. The 25-year-old leads the way for shots taken in this Blackburn side, posting 14 goals and eight assists so far this season.
Dack was rested, alongside Danny Graham, in that defeat to Reading as Mowbray looks to manage his squad for the run-in. They know the importance of this game and both should be back involved on Sunday.
A player of Dack's quality should flourish in a game like this. Unibet offer the attacking midfield at 5/2 for a goal anytime, which looks a price worth taking. Even if that does go, the general price of 2/1 still represents excellent value.
Score prediction: Blackburn 2-1 Middlesbrough (Sky Bet odds: 10/1)
Best bets:
Opta facts
- Blackburn have lost just two of their last 17 league matches against Middlesbrough (W7 D8), both during the 2012-13 season when Boro were managed by Tony Mowbray.
- Eight of the last 12 league meetings between Middlesbrough and Blackburn have ended as a draw (two wins apiece).
- Blackburn have never lost four consecutive league matches under Tony Mowbray, last doing so in December 2016 under Owen Coyle.
- Tony Pulis is unbeaten in his last eight league meetings with Blackburn Rovers (W6 D2) since a 0-3 defeat as Stoke boss in December 2008.
- Excluding own-goals, each of Blackburn’s last 91 league goals have been scored via players from either Great Britain or Ireland.
- Middlesbrough have only lost consecutive away Championship matches under Tony Pulis once previously, doing so last February against Norwich and Cardiff.
Odds correct at 1935 GMT (15/02/19)