Middlesbrough host Wrexham in the pick of the EFL Cup first-round ties and we feel the value lies in supporting the visitors for Friday night’s clash .
Both of last season’s Championship encounters ended up all square, as they finished fifth and seventh in the table, but the Red Dragons did far better in knockout competitions.
We like EVS for the Welsh outfit to win or draw in normal time for our main Middlesbrough vs Wrexham prediction.
Betting Odds
Middlesbrough vs Wrexham Betting Odds – EFL Cup
Result | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Middlesbrough | 3/4 | 57.1% |
Wrexham | 16/5 | 23.8% |
Draw | 11/4 | 26.7% |
*Odds are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change.
Middlesbrough are 3/4 favourites to beat Wrexham , who are 16/5 for the win, with the draw at 11/4.
How to Watch
How to watch Middlesbrough vs Wrexham
This match is scheduled to kick off at 20:00 BST and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
Head-to-Head
Middlesbrough vs Wrexham head-to-head record
These clubs have met three times in knockout tournaments, with Boro winning a 1973 League Cup tie 2-0 but Wrexham gaining revenge in the following season’s FA Cup and again prevailing in that competition in 1999.
In last term’s Championship games, the Red Dragons took an early lead on both occasions but Boro fought back to draw 1-1 at the Riverside and 2-2 at the Racecourse Ground in the final round of regular-season fixtures.
Punters can get 7/2 for another score draw at the end of normal time on Friday night.
Form Guides
Middlesbrough form guide
Boro were strong at home in the Championship last term, which helped them to finish fifth, nine points and two places above Wrexham . After losing out to Southampton in the play-offs, they earned a reprieve thanks to the ‘ Spygate ’ scandal but couldn’t capitalise when going down 1-0 to Hull at Wembley .
Highly-rated 21-year-old forward Will Lankshear has since joined from Tottenham , along with several other solid signings, so another promotion push is expected. However, prioritising that target saw Boro fall at the first hurdle in both cup competitions last term. Obviously, there was no disgrace in a 3-1 away defeat by Fulham in the FA Cup , but a 4-0 thrashing on home turf by Doncaster in the EFL Cup is a clear red flag.
Pre-season draws with Celtic (1-1) and Espanyol (3-3) were encouraging, though, with the second of those games proving very entertaining, as they went in at the break level at 2-2. It was the same score at the interval when these teams met in Wales at the start of May, so a BOYLE Sports price boost of 7/2 for both teams to score in the first half here is tempting.
Wrexham form guide
Wrexham’s meteoric rise through the divisions since the arrival of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has been a fantastic tale and promotion to the Premier League looked possible for much of last season.
The Red Dragons just ran out of puff late on as they finished one spot below the play-off places, but they did also enjoy some memorable cup moments along the way. In this competition, Wrexham beat Hull on penalties following a dramatic 3-3 draw and also knocked out Preston and Reading before losing 2-1 to Cardiff .
Their FA Cup campaign also started out with a shoot-out success against Nottingham Forest following another action-packed 3-3 stalemate and Ipswich were seen off in round four. The Red Dragons then led twice against Chelsea before eventually going down 4-2 in extra-time after being reduced to 10 men.
Wrexham should be relatively up to speed for this contest following a series of high-profile friendlies, which included fine wins over Manchester United and Leeds , plus narrow losses to Liverpool and Sunderland .
Head coach Phil Parkinson told the club website: “Taking everything into account in terms of the travelling in between, the lads have been brilliant.”
Let’s add 5/4 for the visitors to go ahead at any point to our Middlesbrough vs Wrexham betting tips.
Betting Tips
Middlesbrough vs Wrexham Betting Tips
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