Bristol City v Middlesbrough: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick is under growing pressure after overseeing a four-game losing streak which has seen the club drop into mid-table in the Championship.

Carrick needs to stop the bleeding fast and will be targeting a win at Bristol City, who last week leapfrogged Boro in the table and now find themselves just two points outside the top six.

Bristol City v Middlesbrough betting tips and predictions

Middlesbrough to win - 21/10

Middlesbrough have spent much of the season being hunted down but now it's their turn to do the chasing after a rocky spell has seen them tumble down the Championship table.

Four straight losses - six defeats in seven in all competitions - and just two wins since Christmas have seen Boro not just disappear from any possible say in the automatic promotion conversation, but also well outside the play-offs.

They have been ahead of Bristol City in the table from the get-go but now they head to Ashton Gate trailing the Robins by two points and in desperate need of a win. As we say, hunted turned hunter.

Getting away from the Riverside might prove a blessing and being underdogs might be another. They are a 21/10 shot at Ashton Gate.

And working on the principle that they were a classy team for the first half of the season and under-pressure Carrick's group is still full of goals, you would imagine their fortunes will turn at some point.

And at 21/10, that looks like a price worth taking against a City side who, as any City fan will tell you, are a long way from a great side themselves.

Liam Manning's men are strong at home where they have lost only three times, two of those being against Burnley and Sheffield United.

And they have lost only two of their last 11 since Christmas though fans weren't exactly lauding Manning's side - or Manning himself - for their performance in a 1-1 draw against Severnside rivals Cardiff.

At least they held on for a point were left to lament a 1-0 home defeat by Watford, a match that had winnable written all over it following back-to-back losses against big-hitters Sunderland and Sheffield United.

Statistically Boro are doing so much right. Only Leeds average more shots than them, while only the Whites and Burnley concede fewer shots. Carrick is blaming mistakes while insisting nothing much else is wrong.

Take him at his word and for Boro to return to winning ways on Friday night.

Delano Burgzorg Over 0.5 Shots on Target - 5/4

Carrick hasn't tweaked much in recent weeks but he got it in the neck last week for putting Delano Burgzorg on the bench against Watford.

Realising the error of his ways, the man who had found the net in each of Boro's three previous games, was introduced at half-time but by then they were 1-0 down and struggling to find ways through Tom Cleverley's well-drilled lines.

The Dutchman still managed to fire off three shots - two on target, which was more than any of his colleagues - and Carrick surely recalls him to the starting XI in Bristol.

Only two men have fired off more shots than Burgzorg this season and one of them, Emmanuel Latte-Lath, was sold three weeks ago.

Burgzorg will be crucial in the run-in, is clearly in form and looks fabulous value at 5/4 to have over 0.5 shots on target.

Over 10.5 Corners - 5/6

There will be no backing down from Boro, who need to stay positive if they are to return to the promotion fight.

They average five corners per away game and should be able to at least match that at Ashton Gate.

As for City, home games are where they are seen in their best light and they are averaging a fraction under six corners per game in front of their own fans.

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Bristol City v Middlesbrough odds

Bristol City - 5/4
Draw - 12/5
Middlesbrough - 21/10

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.