QPR v Middlesbrough: Prediction, Tips and Odds

QPR will attempt to extend a three-game unbeaten run when they entertain another promotion-chasing team from the north in the Championship on Tuesday.

Middlesbrough’s journey to Loftus Road follows hot on the heels of Sunderland’s visit and the table-topping Black Cats were forced to dig in for a point by a battling R’s side.

Marti Cifuentes’ men, who remain second-bottom, had three good chances to open the scoring before Sunderland had settled in, and the game turned again when Jobe Bellingham was sent off.

Boro were also reduced to 10 men in their 3-0 home humiliation at the hands of Coventry on Saturday and they will miss the suspended Hayden Hackney for this trip south.

After throwing away a 3-1 lead at Norwich in their previous match, Michael Carrick’s men cannot afford any more slip-ups if they are to remain in the hunt for a play-off place.

QPR v Middlesbrough betting tips and predictions

QPR Draw No Bet - 13/8

Middlesbrough must be a frustrating side to follow for their fans because whenever they seem to be heading in the right direction they throw in a couple of horrible performances.

Hackney scored the first away goal at The Hawthorns for almost six months to knock West Bromwich Albion off top spot at the start of October, but Boro lost their next two matches against Watford and Bristol City.

They then got the better of their former boss Chris Wilder and his promotion-chasing Sheffield United side at home before slumping against Norwich and Coventry.

The main conclusion to draw from this sequence is that Middlesbrough play better against the better teams in the division and let themselves down when they are expected to pick up points.

The 10/11 favourites for this clash are not to be trusted with the improving hosts worthy of support in the Draw No Bet market.

After four straight defeats either side of October’s international break, Rangers have drawn their last three games.

That upturn has come at a time when playmaker Ilias Chair has returned from injury and his influence on the team has grown with each passing match as he regains full match fitness.   

Chair provides so much quality and ingenuity to QPR that he, alone, could make the difference in this clash against a Boro side that will miss Hackney’s presence in the same midfield areas that the Moroccan likes to get on the ball.

Middlesbrough looked weak in the air at the back on Saturday, conceding two goals from crosses and seeing another Coventry goal from a free-kick routine chalked off for offside. 

Draw/Both Teams to Score - 15/4

This is not quite a competing bet to the first tip, but it is a different way of approaching the main crux of the argument to oppose Middlesbrough in every way possible.

QPR have drawn their last three matches and failed to gain all three points when up against the 10 men of Sunderland for more than half an hour on Saturday.

The Black Cats are a more consistent side than Middlesbrough right now and QPR perhaps lacked the belief in themselves that they could get the win, but they will probably not have that amount of respect for Carrick’s team.

Still, a draw with both teams scoring offers significant odds of reward given Boro’s last away game ended in a 3-3 draw and three of QPR’s last six home Championship matches have finished one goal apiece. 

Ilias Chair Over 2.5 Shots - 4/5

Chair’s significance to QPR’s attacking output is not just limited to his creativity in assisting others from open play and set pieces.

The 27-year-old is also a great source of goals himself and is never afraid to test the opposition goalkeeper.

Only six players in the Championship last season took more shots than Chair, who recorded 115 attempts on goal at a rate of 2.77 per 90 minutes.

He has tallied three or more shots in three of his four Championship starts this season, including Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland.

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QPR v Middlesbrough odds

QPR - 27/10
Draw - 27/10
Middlesbrough - 10/11

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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.