Middlesbrough vs Sunderland predictions: Visitors to stay on promotion trail
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- Middlesbrough are seventh in the Championship
- Sunderland are 11 points better off in fourth
- Recommended bet: Sunderland to win
Sunderland can extend Middlesbrough's disappointing start to the year with victory at the Riverside in Monday's Tees-Wear derby.
Boro have lost three of their last four games in all competitions going into this Championship clash, as any hopes they had of competing for automatic promotion over the second half of the season have disappeared.
The Black Cats have not been firing on all cylinders either, but remain high in the table in fourth and can stay in the mix for the top two with an important win over their north east rivals.
Team news
Boro look set to be without striker Emmanuel Latte Lath, who is their top scorer this season with 11 league goals, as he is close to sealing a move to US side Atlanta United.
The hosts still have a lengthy injury list to contend with and Riley McGree, Jonny Howson, Tommy Conway, Anfernee Dijksteel, Tom Smith, Alex Bangura, Darragh Lenihan, Solomon Brynn and Seny Dieng are all expected to miss Monday's game.
Sunderland, meanwhile, are unlikely to have Aji Alese, Alan Browne, Tom Watson, Niall Huggins and Romaine Mundle available as that quintet continue to be hampered by injury.
The stats
Sunderland are unbeaten in their last five league games, sealing a home win over promotion rivals Sheffield United and earning a draw at another of the top-two contenders, Burnley, during that spell.
The Black Cats have lost just one of their last 11 Championship games.
Sunderland won the reverse fixture at the Stadium of Light 1-0 in September.
Three of Middlesbrough's last five league games and three of Sunderland's last five Championship outings have had two goals or fewer in.
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Prediction
Boro have been inconsistent this season under Michael Carrick, flitting between looking like promotion candidates at times and more of a mid-table outfit at others in the ever-competitive second tier.
They have struggled in recent weeks, drawing at home with Cardiff and losing away at Portsmouth and Preston, while they also exited the FA Cup last month when going down meekly to Blackburn at home.
A victory over fellow play-off contenders West Brom at the Riverside on January 21 was a welcome positive result, but Carrick's men failed to build on it as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Deepdale last weekend.
The 37/20 available on an away win for a side 11 points and three places better off in the table more than appeals on Monday evening.
Sunderland are unbeaten in their last five games in the Championship, although they were frustrated by bottom-of-the-table Plymouth when being held to a 2-2 draw at home last weekend.
The Black Cats have been able to stick around in the automatic promotion scrap and, while they may end up not being quite good enough to compete with leaders Leeds United and Sheffield United at the very top over the course of the second half of the season, they should be able to see off the Teessiders.
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