Watford v Middlesbrough predictions: Lively contest in store at Vicarage Road

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

Where to watch

Sky Sports Football & Main Event, 8pm Tuesday

Best bet

Both teams to score
1pt 20-23 Betfair

Team news

Watford
Tom Cleverley, Samuel Kalu, Tom Dele-Bashiru and Imran Louza are set to miss out. Rey Manaj will be assessed after limping off in the first half of Saturday’s loss to QPR.

Middlesbrough
Manager Chris Wilder is without Chuba Akpom and Darnell Fisher, while Duncan Watmore is a doubt.

Match preview

Watford suffered their first defeat of the Championship campaign on Saturday as they were edged out in a five-goal thriller at home to QPR, and the thrills and spills may continue against Middlesbrough.

The Hornets saw their formidable front three split up following Emmanuel Dennis’s move to Nottingham Forest earlier this month, and they now face an anxious couple of days in their bid to fight off advances for Ismaila Sarr and Joao Pedro.

Both Sarr and Pedro started against Rangers and while they remain at Vicarage Road they will cause plenty of problems for opponents, especially a Boro defence still awaiting their first clean sheet of the campaign.

Chris Wilder’s men picked up their first win of the season at home to Swansea on Saturday and that 2-1 success could be the result that sparks them into life.

Boro have netted nine goals in their opening six matches but they have also conceded ten, with their early-season fixtures also seeing them beaten 3-2 by QPR and having shared the spoils in 2-2 draws with Stoke and Sheffield United.

Both teams have scored in five of Boro’s opening six assignments in the second tier so expect more entertainment at Vicarage Road.

Key stat

Middlesbrough have conceded in 12 of their last 14 Championship matches.

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