Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
Middlesbrough finally returned to winning ways in the last round after back-to-back setbacks, but they still lack a bit of momentum to break into the top six in the race for the Premier League. As for Luton Town, freshly relegated from the top flight, they aren't quite aiming for such lofty ambitions yet. Their immediate concern is distancing themselves from the relegation zone, sharing the same points tally as Plymouth Argyle, who are teetering on the brink of relegation.
Middlesbrough
It seems that defeating Queens Park Rangers is an easy task at present, yet neither second-placed Burnley nor the league leaders, Sunderland, managed it, both drawing 0:0. However, Middlesbrough lived up to their billing as favourites and routed the Londoners 4:1 in the14th round, a feat unprecedented for them in this campaign. Only in the EFL Cup had Middlesbrough delivered a thrashing to Leeds United (3:0). Nevertheless, even on home turf, they need to tread carefully, as evidenced by their defeat to Coventry City (3:0) at Riverside Stadium in the 13th round. Though, discounting the early red card, such a result shouldn't recur.
Luton Town
Luton Town, still under Rob Edwards' management, are persistently trying to climb the ladder. Recently, they've been successful, securing four points in the last two rounds and moving up from 22nd to 19th position. The coaching staff and their fans should also be pleased with the team conceding just one goal over 180+ minutes, and that against a resilient West Bromwich Albion. Overall, they've allowed 1.11 xGA in these matches.
Middlesbrough vs Luton Town Prediction
Luton Town are expected to put up a strong resistance. In the last four rounds, a bet on Luton Town with +1.5 handicap has come through, and in three recent encounters at Riverside Stadium, they've only lost by the narrowest of margins. Therefore, our prediction is the same handicap bet on Luton Town.
