Bournemouth v Middlesbrough predictions: Nervy clash could go the way of Boro

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Bournemouth v Middlesbrough in the Championship on Friday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Football, 3pm Friday

Best bet

Middlesbrough draw no bet
1pt 15-8 Betfair, Paddy Power

Team news

Bournemouth
Left-back Jordan Zemura is out.

Middlesbrough
Star right wing-back Isaiah Jones should have recovered from illness. Martin Payero is fit but Dael Fry is out.

Match preview

Nerves are absolutely raging at the top of the Championship, where canny Chris Wilder can mastermind a timely smash-and-grab on edgy Bournemouth.

Boro have dropped out of the playoff places following a pair of 1-0 home losses, the first, forgivably, against Fulham, the second, less so, against Hull.

And losing back-to-back games at this stage of the season is calamitous given the depth of sides hunting down a place in the top six.

But Wilder' has been here before and will see this as an opportunity to get back on track against a Cherries side living on their nerve-ends at the moment as they try to fend off the chasing pack.

Bournemouth are themselves up and down with a crowd which can quickly turn when Scott Parker's men struggle to break teams down.

And it's a lack of pace and invention against deep-sitting teams which is proving problematic for Parker.

Boro got it right at the Riverside just before Christmas with a ground-out 1-0 success.

And it's no coincidence that for those two losses against Fulham and Hull they were without the services of right wing-back Isaiah Jones, one of the real stars of the Teessiders' promotion push.

It's a massive weekend for Boro, who face Huddersfield on Monday, while Bournemouth are acutely aware that their run-in is the most challenging of any side in the top half. That creates a pressure of its own and there is no doubt that Bournemouth, who have failed to win five of their last eight, are clinging on and there for the taking.

Key stat

Middlesbrough have managed clean sheets in each of their last three away games.

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