Competition: Championship

Market: Middlesbrough win

Odds: 3/5 @ 1xBet

Looking to make up some ground in the play-off chase on Boxing Day, Middlesbrough will travel to the New York Stadium when they meet Rotherham.

Starting with the hosts, while Rotherham might have just about clung to their Championship status last season, the Millers are facing another major Championship nightmare. Sat rock-bottom of the table and already nine points adrift of second-tier safety, Leam Richardson’s men are tipped as a landslide relegation contender in the New Year. Last seen over the weekend putting in another worrying performance as they slumped to a routine 3-0 drumming at the hands of Leicester, the Yorkshire-based outfit should be bracing themselves for another stern examination here. Continuing to show a string of issues since opening up the 2023/24 campaign, Rotherham have lost all of their previous four Championship appearances on the spin by an aggregate score of 10-3. Likewise, it should also be highlighted, Tuesday’s hosts have recorded just a single win from any of their last 18 straight appearances across all formats – a run that stems all the way back to September 2nd.

As for the visitors, while Middlesbrough might have opened December in the midst of a public struggle, Michael Carrick’s men have come roaring back in some style. Last seen over the weekend putting in a gritty performance as they secured a 1-0 victory at home against West Brom, the one-time Manchester United defender still has his sights set on mounting a play-off charge in the New Year. Punching their EFL Cup semi-final ticket earlier in the month as they secured a routine 3-0 romp against Port Vale, Boro have won all of their previous three domestic appearances on the bounce. Desperate to make up some ground in the top-six chase on Boxing Day, Carrick’s side should be relishing a trip to the New York Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. Landing a 2-0 win when they last travelled to Yorkshire over the summer for a pre-season showdown on July 19th, Middlesbrough are rightfully tipped as a standout contender here. Two sides battling it out at opposite ends of the Championship table, we are backing an away victory in midweek.

Bet: Middlesbrough 3/5 to beat Rotherham in Tuesday’s Championship showdown @ 1xBet