Things didn’t quite go to plan for Leeds on the opening day of the Championship season as they were held at home by Portsmouth, and they face a tricky challenge in the EFL Cup in the shape of promotion rivals Middlesbrough.
Boro themselves got off to a winning start and while they go into the game as second favourites, will be a real test for a Leeds side desperate to get back to winning ways after a tough end to last season.
We’ve reviewed the best football betting offers, odds, and markets from our selection of top football betting sites to bring you free betting tips for Leeds v Middlesbrough.
Leeds v Middlesbrough Betting Tips
Leeds v Middlesbrough Match Preview
It was expected to be as comfortable a start to the new season as you can get for Leeds, being drawn against newly-promoted Portsmouth at Elland Road, but it didn’t work out that way on Saturday.
Having taken an early lead, it should have been a routine win but familiar issues in front of goal plagued the Whites as they were eventually held to a 3-3 draw, courtesy of a last-gasp equaliser from Brenden Aaronson.
While one game is always too early to draw any real conclusions, conceding three goals at home is a bit of a warning and especially against a newly promoted side. Given the manner in which Leeds’ automatic promotion push ended last season, Daniel Farke could do with a fast start this campaign.
He has a full squad available to him against Boro and is sure to hand starts to the likes of Joel Piroe, Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rothwell, but having failed to win on Saturday you would expect him to chase a notable win at this early stage.
Boro on the other hand got off the mark with a good win at home to Swansea, Emmanuel Latte Lath getting the only goal from the spot as Michael Carrick’s side conceded possession for the most part but were by far the more dangerous of the two sides with the ball.
There will be plenty of intrigue around Luke Ayling and his potential return to Elland Road having left a fan favourite last season following his role in the promotion squad and subsequent Premier League years.
Carrick faces a similar issue to Farke - do you look to keep the momentum of the opening weekend going or do you keep your players fresh ahead of a busy campaign?
I think this will be a pretty close game, and it’s quite tough to call a clear winner. On paper Leeds are the favourites and I think they will put out a good side, but there are some clear areas in which Boro can attack - notably on the counter as they did against Swansea - and I think we’ll see both teams score but Leeds claim an unconvincing win - which you can get as a price boost at 9/4 with bet365.
Mateo Joseph is a real tempted when looking at the goalscoring markets. He had a good pre-season and earned his place in the side to start the season up front, but with Patrick Bamford and Joel Piroe both fit, will he get another game or be rotated out?
Having said that, I think Piroe is certain to start at 10 if not leading the line. He is 5/1 with Paddy Power to open to scoring in this one, and I think he should have a decent season this year so is one to watch out for, and he could claim penalty duties too which is always worth considering.
Leeds v Middlesbrough Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Leeds to win odds | 4/7 |
| Draw odds | 3/1 |
| Middlesbrough to win odds | 4/1 |
Odds courtesy of Betfred, correct at the time of publication
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