Middlesbrough vs Sheffield Wednesday Prediction: Another draw for Boro

Middlesbrough welcome Sheffield Wednesday to the Riverside Stadium in the EFL Championship on Thursday (15:00, Sky Sports+), looking to respond to their 3-3 draw with struggling Plymouth Argyle last time out. Michael Carrick's side are still struggling for consistency as they have failed to post consecutive wins in over a month.

The Owls head into this off the back of two wins against Oxford United and Stoke City. They will be looking to capitalise on Boro's inconsistency when they travel to Teesside on Boxing Day. Read on for my Middlesbrough vs Sheffield Wednesday prediction, including the latest match odds and team news.

Middlesbrough vs Sheffield Wednesday Odds

Middlesbrough are 4/6, which has an implied probability of 60%, to win this match. Boro have won six of their 11 home matches in the league to date.

Sheffield Wednesday are valued at 4/1 (20%) to come away with the three points, and they have won each of their last three trips on the road in the second tier.

The draw is available at 3/1 (25%), with both teams experiencing five stalemates apiece this season.

Seven of the last 10 league meetings between these two sides have seen goals at both ends, so both teams to score is on offer at 8/11 for Thursday.

Under 2.5 goals has struck in seven of Boro's clashes at the Riverside this term and is priced at 1/1 for this one.

Boro striker Emmanuel Latte Lath has scored in his last two outings and he is 4/1 to open the scoring against the Owls.

Football Odds

Team News

Middlesbrough are currently low on options at full-back with Luke Ayling (muscle) and Alex Bangura (Achilles) still out of action, but the former could return later this month. It is hoped that Tommy Smith is not too far away from a return, though. The 32-year-old has been out with a ruptured Achilles which he suffered against Birmingham City in October 2023.

Aidan Morris remains out with a knee injury he picked up on international duty with the USA last month. Goalkeeper Seny Dieng is another currently sidelined and the Owls test is expected to be too soon for him.

Defender Darragh Lenihan is another with an Achilles problem. Like Smith, he missed most of last season as a result and had to undergo surgery to aid his recovery. He has since suffered a setback and we will not see him return to the fold until some point in the new year.

Winger Isaiah Jones was an unused substitute in the weekend's draw with Plymouth, amidst rumours swirling that he is actively seeking a new challenge in the January transfer window because of his limited game time at Boro.

Tommy Conway led the line against the Pilgrims and was replaced by Latte Lath with 15 minutes to go. The Ivorian scored within nine minutes, so one would expect him to return to the starting XI against Wednesday.

For Wednesday, they are without the services of Akin Famewo due to a muscle injury, and he has been ruled out until March at the earliest. Olaf Kobacki could be involved here after being involved in training last week, but he was still absent against the Potters at the weekend.

Defender Di'Shon Bernard will serve a one-game suspension for his sending off against Stoke.

Owls boss Danny Rohl has had to deal with a bug that has found its way into the dressing room as four were affected which led to them missing the Stoke game. Michael Ihiekwe, Pol Valentin, Liam Palmer and Ben Hamer were the players in question, and it remains to be seen if any will have recovered in time to be involved on Boxing Day.

Midfielder Svante Ingelsson was another who missed out on the last game after picking up a slight knock in training on Friday. It is hoped that it wasn't anything serious and that he could have a part to play against Boro.

Draw @ 3/1

This does feel like a tough game to call because when both teams bring their A-game they can tussle with the best in the division. Boro's issue as I've mentioned is consistency. There have been just two times this season in which they have strung together consecutive victories.

If they wish to be a promotion contender this year, they will need to improve on this in the second half of the campaign. When it comes to playing at the Riverside, though, they have largely enjoyed success.

Six of their 11 games here have been wins, while there have been just three defeats, with the latest coming last month against Blackburn Rovers. They have won three of their last four on home soil, though, and despite drawing with the struggling Pilgrims last time out, they are now unbeaten in their last two matches.

Given Argyle gave them a run for their money, you can bet the Owls will also provide them with a stern test here, as they are a much stronger side than Wayne Rooney's Plymouth.

Wednesday are another team who have had problems with consistency, and they started the campaign a lot slower than many would have expected after how well they did to escape relegation on the final day last term.

Their form has greatly improved in recent weeks with four wins from their last six, and for the first time this season they have put together back-t0-back victories. They head into this game with two wins behind them, and they will be gunning for a third as they bid to close the gap on Boro who are three points ahead of them, and keep up momentum in the play-off race.

Both teams have players who can make a difference in the final third. I would say that Boro boast one of the strongest front fours in the league when the players are on-song, but the Owls have the likes of Barry Bannan, Josh Windass and Djeidi Gassama who can cause Carrick's men problems.

This could be a very entertaining affair but I think we will see the two teams cancel each other out and they will be forced to share the spoils on Boxing Day.

Emmanuel Latte Lath anytime goalscorer @ 13/10

One man who can provide entertainment is Boro striker Latte Lath. His goal from the bench against Plymouth marked his ninth of the campaign and he looks to have rediscovered his rhythm after a slow start.

The Ivorian has now netted in his last two games and looks to be focused on his current club despite his agent stirring the pot about a potential January transfer window exit.

Four of Latte Lath's league goals have landed at the Riverside this season so he currently has one more on the road, but I think he can level things up by striking against the Owls.

The last time he went on a scoring run, he struck once against Queens Park Rangers and Luton Town, before hitting a hat-trick against Oxford United. I wonder if we could see history repeat itself here?

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