Middlesbrough rated double the threat of Reading to Leeds United but Patrick Bamford expected to shine

MIDDLESBROUGH are 5-1 to end their poor recent form against Leeds United who can be backed at 8-13 to net a third win a row.
SAME AGAIN? Patrick Bamford netted in Leeds United's 4-0 win against Middlesbrough in November and is fancied to score against the Riversiders once more three months on. Picture by Ian Hodgson/PA Wire.SAME AGAIN? Patrick Bamford netted in Leeds United's 4-0 win against Middlesbrough in November and is fancied to score against the Riversiders once more three months on. Picture by Ian Hodgson/PA Wire.
SAME AGAIN? Patrick Bamford netted in Leeds United's 4-0 win against Middlesbrough in November and is fancied to score against the Riversiders once more three months on. Picture by Ian Hodgson/PA Wire.

At 3-10, second-placed Leeds were the shortest price they had been all season for Saturday's hosting of 15th-placed Reading who were a whopping 11-1.

Despite having not won since New Year's Day, Jonathan Woodgate's fifth-bottom Riversiders are half of those with home advantage despite having drawn four and lost four of their last eight.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The draw is on offer 63-20 and the bookmakers envisage a narrow win for Marcelo Bielsa's Whites with a 1-0 United success favourite in the correct score market at 13-2.

A 2-0 Whites triumph is next at 7s, the same price as a 1-1 draw, while a repeat of United's 4-0 win at Elland Road from earlier this season is 25s.

Leeds to win 2-1 (15-2), 3-0 (12-1) and 3-1 (13-1) are all rated more likely than even a 1-0 Boro success which is 16s.

A goalless draw can be backed at 12-1 but Boro are at least given a fighting chance by the layers with Britt Assombalonga rated their main threat and 9-1 to score first or 7-2 any time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ashley Fletcher, Rudy Gestede and Tyrone ONeill are all 10-1 to score first or 7-2 any time with Lukas Nmecha, Marcus Tavernier and Lewis Wing next in the list before Ravel Morrison who is 19s to net first and 15-2 any time.

Yet it is a familiar face to Boro who tops the first goalscorer market outright with Patrick Bamford 9-2 to score first and only 6-4 to net anytime despite having only netted in one of his last 11 games - through a brace in the 3-2 win at home to Millwall.

Jean-Kevin Augustin is second favourite to score first at 24-5 and 33-20 anytime but Le Grand Kev seems certain to be on the bench meaning the odds of Pablo Hernandez seem better value.

Saturday's match-winner is 7-1 to net first or 9-4 as an anytime scorer while wingers Helder Costa and Jack Harrison are 9-1 and 10-1 respectively to net first and 10-3 and 15-4 respectively as anytime scorers.

Leeds, on the face of it, also appear pretty good value at 8-13 for those not afraid to get stuck in at odds-on.