Middlesbrough vs Sunderland Prediction: Stalemate on the cards?

Middlesbrough welcome their North East neighbours Sunderland to the Riverside Stadium in the Championship on Sunday afternoon (12:00) hoping to recreate their thumping 4-0 victory at the Stadium of Light earlier in the season.

Michael Carrick's side were left frustrated last time out as they were held to a draw with Rotherham United but they have won two of their last five.

Sunderland picked up an impressive 3-1 victory over Stoke City last weekend and they too have won two of their last five matches.

Match Odds

Middlesbrough are 21/20 to get the win here. A draw is on offer at 5/2, while Sunderland are 13/5 to enact their revenge on the hosts.

Both teams to score can be backed at 4/6. Over 2.5 goals is priced at 8/11.

Team News

Defender Luke Thomas could be set for his Middlesbrough debut after joining on loan from Leicester City. Isaiah Jones is out of contention due to injury.

Sunderland have no fresh injury concerns heading into the weekend, but Michael Beale has been boosted by new additions Leo Hjelde, Romaine Mundle and Callum Styles.

Both teams to score @ 4/6

These two teams are two of the most inconsistent sides in the division and it's not ideal when both are fighting for promotion this year. There was no contest in their meeting on Wearside earlier in the season, but this time around you have to imagine Sunderland will be much more competitive.

Following their win over Stoke last weekend, the players will have gained some much-needed confidence as Stoke had been one of the most in-form sides in the second tier over the past month.

Boro are a funny one as well because although they have the quality to push for the play-offs again this season, their up and down form is making it difficult. As it is with Sunderland, you don't know what kind of performance you're going to get. They have failed to take a single point off Rotherham United this year which emphasises the point.

Both defences are shaky so we are confident in BTTS landing in this one.

Draw @ 5/2

We believe that there is very little to separate these two sides heading into Sunday. The interchanging results that they both keep posting comes back to their inconsistency and you don't know what you are going to get when they both take to the field.

In that regard, we think that they will end up cancelling each other out on this occasion. In the circumstances, a point isn't a bad result for either side but three would come as a huge boost to them in their bids for promotion.

Draws have been a rarity for them both this season with four stalemates apiece, but we fancy the 5/2 price for them to each post a fifth at the Riverside on Sunday.