Middlesbrough host Lincoln City in their Championship opener at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Kim Hellberg's Boro will be looking to mount another promotion push after losing 1-0 to Hull City in last season's play-off final, having finished fifth in the table.
Lincoln, who won the League One title to earn promotion to the Championship, are competing in the second tier for the first time since 1961.
Middlesbrough v Lincoln City Tips Summary
Best Bet - Middlesbrough to win @ 21/50
Alternative Bet - Will Lankshear anytime goalscorer @ 11/10
Bet Builder - Over 2 goals, Tendayi Darikwa to be booked & Over 8 corners @ 8/1
Middlesbrough v Lincoln City Prediction
Best Bet: Middlesbrough to win @ 21/50
Middlesbrough will hope to swiftly get over their play-off final heartbreak and earn an opening day victory over newly promoted Lincoln.
Boro have been busy this summer, bringing in seven players so far and will be eager to push for the top two automatic spots this time around.
Hellberg coaches his men to play a fluid, all-action style of play and will hope to see his side come flying out the traps against the Imps.
Having beaten Wrexham 1-0 to progress to the second round of the EFL Cup last Friday, Boro will be aiming to build on that strong start.
Lincoln come into the game on the back of an away win at Derby County in the same competition, but the Riverside will be an altogether different test and the hosts are strong favourites to take the three points.
Alternative Bet: Will Lankshear anytime goalscorer @ 11/10
There are big hopes that Will Lankshear can fire Middlesbrough to success this season.
The striker joined this summer from Tottenham in a deal that could rise to a club-record £20million, signing a five-year contract at the Riverside.
Lankshear scored 11 goals at this level while on loan at relegated Oxford United last season and should surpass that tally with more opportunities coming his way in a side that are expected to spend the season in the top eight at least.
If the Teessiders can produce good service for the 21-year-old, then Lankshear should find the back of the net regularly.
Having already opened his account by netting the winner against Wrexham, backing the frontman to get on the scoresheet against Lincoln could prove a smart bet.
Middlesbrough v Lincoln City Bet Builder Tip
Over 2 goals
Tendayi Darikwa to be booked
Over 8 corners
Pays @ 8/1
Middlesbrough had 14 shots on target in their cup win over Wrexham and will be expected to produce a similar number against Lincoln.
The Imps, who scored 89 goals in League One last season, have kept only one clean sheet in their last five games including friendlies, so goals are expected at the Riverside this weekend.
With Boro out to attack with pace at home, Lincoln's defenders are set for a busy afternoon.
Tendayi Darikwa, who played the full game against Derby last weekend, was booked 12 times last season and could find his name in the referee's notebook again.
Looking at set-pieces, Middlesbrough matches saw more corners than any other last season, averaging over 11 per game.
Lincoln fixtures also featured just over nine in League One, so backing over 8.5 corners when these two sides meet on Saturday looks a sound move.
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Key Match Stats
Middlesbrough boasted the joint-second best defence in the Championship last season, conceding 47 goals
Lincoln earned 103 points in League One to earn promotion to the second tier
Boro won just two of their last 10 league matches, slipping to fifth in the table as a result
The last meeting between these two sides saw Lincoln run out 5-2 winners back in April 1961
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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.
