After days of controversy, confusion and contention, the so-called richest game in football will pit Hull against Middlesbrough for a place in the Premier League and a £200million windfall. Boro have been given a second chance to reach the promised land after Southampton were kicked out of the play-offs after admitting to spying on opponents.
Saints appealed against the seismic ruling, but that was thrown out on Wednesday night, and Boro will take their place in Saturday afternoon's play-off final at Wembley , although the fall-out from 'spygate' is sure to rumble on.
Boro , eliminated by Saints after extra-time in the semi-finals, finished the regular season seven points above sixth-placed Hull, and we think it will be Kim Hellberg 's side who emerge from this week's chaos as the big winners. Our opening Hull vs Middlesbrough prediction is for Boro to lift the trophy @ 2/5, and it could well be after a penalty shoot-out (9/1) - a fittingly dramatic conclusion to an unprecedented saga.
Betting Odds
Hull vs Middlesbrough Betting Odds – Championship Play-Off Final 2025/26
Result | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Middlesbrough | 2/5 | 71.4% |
Hull | 15/8 | 34.8% |
*Odds are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change.
Middlesbrough are 2/5 favourites to win promotion. Hull can be backed at 15/8.
How to Watch
How to Watch Hull vs Middlesbrough
The Championship play-off final is scheduled to begin at 15:30 BST on Saturday and will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event .
Form Guides
Hull Form Guide
Hull and Middlesbrough ran out of steam towards the end of the season, and the Tigers looked set to miss out on the play-offs after a six-game winless run. They had dropped to eighth after falling behind to Norwich on the final day, but Oli McBurnie 's brace saw them fight back to claim a 2-1 win at MKM Stadium .
That enabled Sergej Jakirovic 's men to snatch sixth place, finishing two points above Wrexham, who drew their final game 2-2 with Middlesbrough , and they carried that momentum into the play-offs, beating Millwall 2-0 on aggregate thanks to a second-leg win at The Den . Hull and Boro had a win apiece from their two meetings this season, both of which came in December and saw the Tigers lose 4-1 at home before gaining revenge with a 1-0 victory at the Riverside .
McBurnie did not score in either of those matches but finished the regular season as the second top scorer in the Championship with 17 goals, and the experienced striker is 11/4 to net this weekend in the Hull vs Middlesbrough odds. Fellow forward Joe Gelhardt , who struck Hull 's clincher at Millwall , is also 3/1 to add to his 15 goals this term.
Middlesbrough Form Guide
Boro had gone top of the Championship in February but then saw their hopes of promotion seemingly wrecked after winning just four of their last 17 games. That run included both play-off semi-final legs against Southampton , where Shea Charles ' 116th-minute winner brought what would have been a frustrating end to Boro 's once-promising season - until this week's dramatic reprieve.
Their form may not be the best heading into Saturday's final, but it hasn't fallen off a cliff either. They drew the majority of those 17 games and of their five defeats, only one - a 3-1 loss at champions Coventry - was by more than a single goal.
Boro also boasted the best defensive record outside of the top two, Coventry and Ipswich , conceding just 47 goals compared to 66 for Hull , so the Tigers will need to work hard to break them down. You can get 15/8 for Boro to edge a close-fought final 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1, while a clean sheet for Sol Brynn and colleagues is 11/8 in our Hull vs Middlesbrough best bets.
Betting Tips
Hull vs Middlesbrough Betting Tips
Middlesbrough To Win On Penalties @ 9/1
Ollie McBurnie Anytime Goal @ 11/4
Middlesbrough Win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 @ 15/8
Simply click/tap on the above betting tips to add to your betslip.
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