Blackburn vs Middlesbrough Prediction: Boro to get their revenge

The Championship play-offs are slipping away from Blackburn Rovers. They have lost four of their last five games under Valerien Ismael, including three on the spin. They welcome Middlesbrough to Ewood Park on Friday (20:00, Sky Sports Main Event), with the visitors sat outside the top six by goal difference only.

Boro appear to have overcome their own dip which came in February, and they have won four of their past six contests in the second tier. Read on for my Blackburn vs Middlesbrough predictions, supported by the latest team news and match odds.

Football Odds

Team News

Rovers are having to cope without Andreas Weimann, who struck the winning goal when the two teams met in the FA Cup third round back in January, for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Augustus Kargbo, Owen Beck and Emmanuel Dennis are also ruled out for the hosts because of hamstring problems. Callum Brittain (calf), Harry Leonard, Zak Gilsenan and Scott Wharton remain long-term absentees for Blackburn, while Harry Pickering is a doubt to feature on Friday.

Hayden Carter picked up a calf problem in the defeat at Portsmouth last Saturday, and he will need to be monitored ahead of this clash.

Middlesbrough are without goalkeepers Seny Dieng (Achilles) and Sol Brynn (unspecified) for their trip to Lancashire, so loanee Mark Travers will feature between the sticks for the visitors.

Dael Fry (calf) and George Edmundson (ankle) are expected to miss out for Michael Carrick's side, while Luke Ayling, Alex Bangura, Ben Doak and Darragh Lenihan are all ruled out.

Attacking duo Tommy Conway and Finn Azaz have scored 21 Championship goals between them this term and the latter looks set for a starting place, while Conway has to tussle with Kelechi Iheanacho to lead the line.

Blackburn vs Middlesbrough Odds

Blackburn are winless in their past five matches in the league but they have beaten Boro in both meetings so far this term. They are 15/8 to get back to winning ways on Friday.

Middlesbrough's last away trip was a goalless stalemate with Luton Town and the draw is available at 23/10. The visitors are 6/4 (which has an implied probability of 40%), to come away with the three points - and they have won four of their previous six fixtures in the second tier.

Both teams to score has been a winning selection in three of Rovers' last four Championship matches at Ewood Park and is marketed at 8/11 on this occasion.

Middlesbrough to win @ 6/4

Carrick and his players will be out for revenge against Blackburn on Friday, having been beaten by them twice already in 2024/25. I fancy their chances to get the result they're after because they are in much better shape than the hosts, who are really struggling under Ismael.

Boro have put their rough patch behind them and they are making their push for the play-offs - with West Bromwich Albion keeping them out on goal difference alone.

They are playing with confidence right now, something that Blackburn do not have, so I think 6/4 offers good value for the visitors to come away with the victory in Lancashire.

Under 2.5 goals @ 4/5

I believe Middlesbrough have more than enough to beat Rovers at Ewood, but I don't think there will be a lot of goals on offer. The two games the teams have played against one another this term have both ended 1-0 to Blackburn. Therefore, I think under 2.5 goals is a sensible market to cover on Friday night.

There have been fewer than three goals scored in Boro's previous two away trips in the Championship, while under 2.5 goals has also landed in two of Blackburn's past three home games in the second tier.

The hosts may be in poor form but it is rare that they concede a lot of goals, and they have frustrated Middlesbrough twice already this campaign.

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