With one side of the Championship playoff final set, Middlesbrough and Coventry City meet at Riverside Stadium where 90 minutes of action will determine the other participant at Wembley.
Middlesbrough were heavy favourites coming into this two-legged semifinal given their fourth-place finish in the final table and their impressive goal scoring form all season long, but Coventry held the high-flying Boro attack off the scoresheet at home in the first leg, keeping them to just 0.88 expected goals on just five total shots.
All the pressure in the second leg will be on Middlesbrough, who will be expected to advance to the final, with anything less considered a disappointment. With a spot in the Premier League on the line, the stakes of this game are massive.
This is the third straight match in succession between these two sides, after they also played to a draw on the final day of the regular season, a massive point which secured the playoff position for Coventry ahead of heavy competition from the likes of Blackburn and Millwall.
MORE: When is EFL Championship final at Wembley Stadium?
Middlesbrough vs Coventry City match facts
- Date: Wednesday, May 17
- Kickoff Time: 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST / 5 a.m. AEST (Thu, May 18)
- Location: Riverside Stadium (Middlesbrough, England)
- Referee: David Coote
- 1st leg: Coventry City 0-0 Middlesbrough (May 14, 2023)
Middlesbrough vs Coventry City prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Middlesbrough (-115)
- Score prediction: Middlesbrough 1-0 Coventry City
As good as they are defensively, it's going to be very difficult for Coventry City to keep Middlesbrough off the scoresheet for two full matches. Only once all season did Middlesbrough get shut out in two consecutive matches, which came on either end of the September international break.
Coventry will have to pick their spots better than they did in the first leg, or their season will come to an end with Boro advancing to Wembley.
MORE: Complete EFL Championship playoff fixtures and results
| Boro win | Draw | Coventry win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | MID advance | COV advance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | -115 | +260 | +310 | -135 / -105 | -125 / -115 | -250 | +165 |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | -120 | +247 | +322 | -143 / -110 | -115 / -111 | — | — |
| SkyBet (UK) | 15/8 | 23/10 | 13/10 | 5/6, 5/6 | 11/10, 4/6 | — | — |
| Neds (Australia) | 1.85 | 3.50 | 4.20 | 1.75 / 1.95 | 1.87 / 1.87 | 1.40 | 2.70 |
| Dafabet (India) | 1.83 | 3.39 | 4.40 | 1.76 / 1.99 | 1.89 / 1.85 | 1.45 | 2.62 |
Middlesbrough vs Coventry City best bet
- Pick: Under 2.5 total goals
- Odds: -115 (BetMGM)
Sure, this Middlesbrough front line scored 84 goals this Championship season, second-most in the league. But high-flying attacks haven't fazed Coventry City all season long.
In eight regular season matches against the top four teams in the table this season (Burnley, Sheffield United, Luton Town, Middlesbrough), Coventry City conceded more than one goal just once, a 3-1 defeat to the Blades.
Coventry conceded just one goal in both games against runaway champions Burnley, and they conceded just one goal across their two games with Middlesbrough. Additionally, Boro's big attack has shown signs of an end-of-season slump, scoring just two goals across their final three regular season games.
The problem for Coventry is their ability to score, and that is what could let them down here. The under is a great value play, betting against the market here.
Middlesbrough vs Coventry City prop bet
- Pick: Coventry City over 2.5 cards
- Odds: +138 (BetMGM)
For Coventry City to keep a lid on the Middlesbrough attack on the road, they will need to foul early and often. They have committed 47 fouls in the three matches these two have played this season so far, including 22 back in the first meeting.
While Coventry only picked up one yellow card in the first leg, the pressure of this match, the hostile atmosphere, and the stakes should give it a bit more edge. In each of the two regular season matchups between these two teams, Coventry cleared this mark with three and four bookings, respectively.
The match official, David Coote, isn't know for letting the cards fly, but he has called a myriad of fouls in his Premier League action this season (fourth amongst full-time officials in fouls per game), and he could be motivated to keep a close eye on proceedings in a match of such intensity.
Middlesbrough vs Coventry City live stream, TV channel
MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | — | ESPN+ |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| UK | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football | Sky Sports |
| Australia | beIN Sports 3 | beIN Sports Connect, Kayo Sports |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport 7 beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect |
| India | — | iFollow |
| Hong Kong | — | iFollow |
| Malaysia | — | iFollow |
| Singapore | — | iFollow |
