Coventry City vs Middlesbrough verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets
Michael Carrick
Middlesbrough travel away to Coventry City for the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.
Premier League football will be up for grabs when Coventry City take on Middlesbrough for the second time in seven days.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Championship play-off semi-final, Sunday, May 14, Kick-off 12.00pm, Sky Sports
Predicted score
Suggested bets
Key stats
Coventry have lost just one of their last 17 games
Middlesbrough have won three of their last 10 matches
Coventry's Gustavo Hamer has seven goal contributions in his last five games
Middlesbrough have lost four of their last six away games
Cameron Archer has produced 17 goal contributions for Middlesborough in 20 league appearances
Team News
Coventry will be without Callum O'Hare, Kasey Palmer and Fabio Tavares who are all nursing injuries.
Middlesbrough, meanwhile, will miss Matt Clarke, Dael Fry and Aaron Ramsey. Michael Carrick's men could also be without Marcus Forss who remains a doubt.
Verdict
Coventry needed just one point to secure their spot in the play-offs when they travelled to Middlesbrough on the final day of the Championship season.
Fortunately for Mark Robbins and his men, a point was exactly what they got.
A place in the play-offs for a club like Coventry is a big deal. Since being relegated from the Premier League in 2001, the Sky Blues have endured financial problems, a season in League Two and even a ground-share with Birmingham.
Nevertheless, City find themselves just three matches away from a return to the elite, and they will certainly fancy their chances against Boro.
Coventry enter the match with a seven-match unbeaten run under their belts. In fact, they've only lost one of their last 17 matches.
Middlesbrough, on the other hand, have faltered in the closing weeks of the regular season.
Michael Carrick's men have won just three of their last 10 games, with all three coming at the Riverside.
Middlesbrough have lost four of their last six away games. To make matters worse, they've only managed one away victory over Coventry in seven attempts.
With City enjoying solid form and Boro failing to impress on the road, the hosts are the ones to back in the outright market.
Looking at other markets, the under 2.5 goals bet also looks enticing. Eight of the last ten Championship play-off semi-final first-leg games have seen two or fewer goals.
