- Middlesbrough have won three, drawn one and lost just one of their last five games, beating West Bromwich 3-1 before drawing 1-1 at Burnley on Saturday.
- Crystal Palace have lost their last three matches, going down 4-1 to Man City at home in the Premier League and 2-0 to Everton in their previous away game.
Selhurst Park should host a punchy cup battle
Middlesbrough might have the value for this midweek EFL Cup 2026-2027 tie with Crystal Palace at 339/100, but the Eagles are still worth backing at 4/5 to take the win. The draw at 49/20 also looks a little overpriced and that could be the sensible play for the smaller stakes available.
Boro are the in-form team here, having beaten West Bromwich 3-1 at home before following up with a 1-1 away draw at Burnley. Kim Hellberg's side have won four, drawn three and lost just three of their last 10 matches in all competitions, which shows they are a steady outfit as well as a potential cup threat.
Palace should still be expected to come through this clash, but they have lost their last three games in all competitions and coach Pierre Sage will want his squad to reset immediately after the 4-1 home defeat to Manchester City.
Pace and counter-punch could make this close
Sage has instilled a high-regain, transition-first identity on the club, which allows them to play on the counter and in transitions, but it has cost them when they have had to dig deep, which is why they lost 2-0 at Everton. Palace are not always as fluid as they should be in their favourite 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3, which can make them vulnerable to the counter.
The Boro have a more obvious structure and Hellberg's men will press well in this game while they also have the quality to pass through Palace's pressing lines and create overloads with their flexible 4-2-3-1 or narrow 4-3-3 shape. Palace's Matheus Franca, who has scored three of their five goals across the last five, will have to be patient and get numbers forward to do so.
This matchup contrasts Palace's love of turnovers with Boro's desire to play through the press and hit vertical lanes, which could make this a much closer game than the odds suggest. The Boro's superior form suggests they can make this tricky for the hosts and we're backing them to at least hold the hosts to a 1-1 draw if the first goal takes some time to arrive.
