Crystal Palace will be looking to progress in the EFL Cup when they welcome Middlesbrough to Selhurst Park on Tuesday evening.
The Eagles have lifted major silverware in each of the past two seasons, but head coach Pierre Sage has not had the brightest start to life at Selhurst Park and now faces one of the Championship's in-form sides.
Boro, who are targeting promotion to the top flight this season, have enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign and they will head to London knowing they have the capacity to trouble Palace.
Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough Tips Summary
Best Bet - Middlesbrough win or draw - double chance @ 21/20
Alternative Bet - Will Lankshear anytime goalscorer @ 9/4
Bet Builder - Will Lankshear 3+ shots, both teams to score, Callum Brittain 2+ fouls committed & Adam Wharton 2+ fouls won @ 9/1
Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough Prediction
Best Bet: Middlesbrough win or draw double chance @ 21/20
Palace may have put their first points on the board against Fulham, but they were far from convincing in that five-goal thriller and they remain a troubled outfit under new management.
The Cottagers outshot Palace 25-10 and the Eagles’ goals came from their two full-backs, one of whom - Tyrick Mitchell - is a doubt for Tuesday’s tie.
They have now conceded eight goals across their first three games and host a Middlesbrough side with plenty of confidence.
Boro have won five of their seven games this season and are on a four-game unbeaten streak. They were hard done by in their only defeat of the season at Blackburn, having had 22 shots to Rovers’ six, and they look good value to push Palace hard on Tuesday.
Alternative Bet: Will Lankshear anytime goalscorer @ 9/4
Will Lankshear’s impressive season at Oxford United last season earned the Tottenham Hotspur loanee a permanent move to Middlesbrough, and the 21-year-old has proven his worth just seven games into the season.
Lankshear has scored seven goals in seven appearances and has averaged a goal every 72 minutes of play.
He has scored in both of Boro’s EFL Cup victories so far, and he could strike again at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough Bet Builder Tip
Will Lankshear 3+ shots
Both teams to score
Callum Brittain 2+ fouls committed
Adam Wharton 2+ fouls won
Pays 9/1
Will Lankshear is backed to get on the scoresheet but that is unlikely to be his only attempt on the Crystal Palace goal. He has had 25 shots in his seven appearances so far and has had three or more in five of those fixtures.
But Boro are far from secure at the back. They have conceded in five of their last six games and come up against a Palace outfit that scored three at the weekend, so expect an end-to-end affair.
Boro’s Callum Brittain and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton are likely to be heavily involved in the battle for possession, too.
Brittain has committed 12 fouls in seven appearances and seven of those have come in his last three, while Wharton has been fouled twice in all three of his appearances this season.
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Key Match Stats
Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last four matches
Crystal Palace have conceded eight goals in three fixtures
Will Lankshear has averaged a goal every 72 minutes for Middlesbrough
The 21-year-old has had 25 shots in seven appearances this season
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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.
