Leicester v Middlesbrough: Close game on the cards at the King Power Stadium

 

There is plenty at stake in Friday night's Championship clash and Leicester may not have it all their own way, reckons Andy Tongue...

 

Leicester v Middlesbrough

Friday 18th January, 19:45 GMT

Live on Sky Sports TWO

 

The chance to leapfrog Hull into second place in the Championship, behind Cardiff, is the prize when the Foxes, and their new hotshot striker Chris Wood, entertain  faltering Middlesbrough, who have shown a few signs that they are wobbling lately.

 

 

Leicester

 

Wood was pinched by Nigel Pearson from under the noses of Millwall, where he had been on loan from West Brom, and what a piece of business it is looking like being.  The 21-year-old New Zealander has scored six goals in his first three appearances for the Foxes, including that first-half hat-trick Ashton Gate last Saturday. His £1m  transfer fee will be judged a bargain if he carries on like this and fires them to promotion. The Foxes are now five games unbeaten after suffering consecutive 1-0  defeats at the hands of Cardiff and Millwall just before Christmas.

 

 

Middlesbrough

 

Two successive defeats have halted Boro's promotion push in its tracks and Tony Mowbray will be well aware that his side need to stop squandering the chances they are  creating and making the silly defensive errors, which he blamed for the last week's 2-1 home defeat against Watford. He maintains that his side are not playing badly,  though, and it would be dangerous to write them off too easily despite Leicester's impressive home record this season.

 

 

Match Odds

 

Given the unpredictable nature of the Championship, the home side are short enough at 1.74 and despite Boro's seven defeats on the road at 5.2 they will have their supporters. They have won five times away from the Riverside, drawing just once, so could be worth chancing at 3.85 in the Draw No Bet market.

 

 

Both Team to Score

 

You would expect Leicester to net at least once with Wood playing like his is and Boro haven't failed to score in the league since a 1-0 defeat at Cardiff two months  ago so backing Both Teams to Score at 1.71 seems the safest bet in this appetising but hard-to-call clash.

 

 

To Score

 

Wood is in red-hot form and though far from an original suggestion, he has to be backed to score anytime at the best available price given the confidence he must have  at the moment.

 

Recommended Bets

Best Bet: Back Both Teams to Score @ 1.71

Back Middlesbrough to win Draw No Bet @ 3.85

Back Chris Wood to score any time at the best available price

 

Bet HERE

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