Middlesbrough vs Preston Prediction: Greenwood to fire on Riverside return

Middlesbrough and Preston North End return to EFL Championship action this weekend as they face off at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday (15:00).

My Middlesbrough vs Preston prediction can be found below alongside all the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Middlesbrough made a couple of deadline-day loan signings, bringing in 18-year-old Scotland winger Ben Doak from Liverpool, and 27-year-old English centre-back George Edmundson from Ipswich Town, and the duo are set to go straight into Michael Carrick's squad this weekend.

Riley McGree is also ready to return after injury prevented the Australia international from taking part in Boro's last five games, the most recent of which saw them beat Cardiff City (0-2) in south Wales.

Emmanuel Latte Lath reportedly didn't travel down with his teammates to Cardiff amid speculation over his future, with Ipswich said to be after the Ivory Coast international. He did eventually make the trip to the Welsh capital and was sent on in the 70th minute, and he could earn a recall to the starting XI on Saturday, with Finn Azaz moving back to the left-hand side, leaving Delano Burgzorg as a potential victim to be dropped out of the lineup.

Football Odds

Preston defender Liam Lindsay picked up two yellow cards in the space of 18 minutes in the Lilywhites' 3-1 defeat at Oxford United last month and is suspended for the trip to Teesside this weekend.

Jack Whatmough could be recalled in his place, while the likes of Milutin Osmajic, Duane Holmes and Robbie Brady will be pushing for starts after their side's recent defeat.

Middlesbrough vs Preston Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Middlesbrough vs Preston page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Middlesbrough are 4/9 to make it back-to-back victories, giving Carrick's side an implied win probability of 69.2%, while Preston are 6/1, or a 14.3% chance, to return to winning ways.

The draw, which hasn't occurred in the last nine meetings between these sides, can be backed at 4/9, and it's 5/6 for both teams to score.

Latte Lath (13/10) leads the anytime scorer market with Preston's Emil Riis, who scored the opener against the U's last time out, the shortest-priced player (7/2) for the visitors.

Match Result & Both Teams to Score - Middlesbrough & Yes @ 21/10

Boro were fancied as one of the pre-season favourites for the play-offs, and Carrick's charges have made a solid start to the season so far, taking seven points from the 12 available. The north-east outfit opened up with a 1-0 win at home to Swansea City and after following up a 1-0 defeat at Derby County with a 2-2 draw against Portsmouth, remain unbeaten at the Riverside in the league - I won't go into their Carabao Cup 5-0 drubbing there at the hands of Stoke City.

For Preston, meanwhile, the honeymoon period for Paul Heckinbottom ended with a loss at Oxford United last time out. The former Sheffield United boss had won his first two games in charge, 1-0 against Luton Town in the league, and 5-0 at Harrogate Town in the Carabao Cup, but the U's denied him from making it three in a row at the Kassam Stadium.

Boro won the corresponding fixture 4-0 last season, with Isaiah Jones scoring either side of a strike from Rav van den Berg to put the hosts three up heading into half-time, and Alex Bangura netting in second-half added time to put further gloss on the scoreline.

I'm not predicting another thrashing this weekend - in fact, I think Preston can get on the scoresheet themselves - but as top-six contenders, Boro will be looking to make the most of their home games, particularly against a side unlikely to trouble the top 10 or 12, and I think a 2-1 or 3-1 win sounds about right at the Riverside.

Anytime Scorer - Sam Greenwood @ 11/2

Leeds United loanee Sam Greenwood makes his return to the Riverside on Saturday looking to get one over his old side.

The Sunderland-born player spent the majority of last season on loan at Boro, making 37 Championship appearances and scoring five times in the competition. He showed flashes of his ability but didn't make a consistent enough impact to really endear himself to supporters.

Greenwood has made an early mark at Preston, bagging a brace in a 5-0 thrashing of Harrogate Town in the Carabao Cup second round, and his goals against the Sulphurites earned him a recall to the starting XI in the league against Oxford United.

The 22-year-old failed to fire his first Championship goal for Preston in that game but I'm backing him to open his league account for the Lilywhites on Saturday, haunting his former loan club in the process.

There's nothing too studious about this pick, just that Greenwood is a shot merchant - he averaged 1.5 shots per game last season - and should be fired up for a contest at a stadium he called home less than five months ago.

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