Eng. Championship
2026-01-01 - Derby County vs Middlesbrough
A Sports Betting Pick by ArmchairPunter
Football : England: Championship
Venue: Pride Park
Thursday 1st January 2026, 1500hrs (GMT)
Derby County’s stubborn four-match unbeaten run in the Championship came to an end on Monday night when John Eustace’s side suffered a 2-1 loss away from home at east midlands rivals, Leicester City, but The Rams will return to Pride Park for this New Years Day fixture against Middlesbrough.
Derby had previously picked up useful points by way of draws with Millwall, Portsmouth and Birmingham City along with a precious and comprehensive 3-0 win away from home at Championship strugglers, Sheffield Wednesday.
Nevertheless, Derby County have managed to pick up just the single win within their last seven matches overall in the domestic second tier, so the straight win market should be treated with care - instead, The Rams with the handicap looks a solid option here.
Middlesbrough still occupy 2nd place in the Championship table but the visitors now find themselves eight points behind the league leaders Coventry City after failing to win any of their last three games.
Following a four-match winning streak which included impressive wins on the road at Hull City and Charlton Athletic, Boro have picked up just one point from their subsequent three games which came in the form of a 0-0 draw at home with Blackburn Rovers, while recent defeats to Bristol City and Hull City have given the chasing teams such as Ipswich Town and Hull City renewed belief.
An away record of 5-4-3 17/14 looks reasonable enough for Middlesbrough as they make their way to the east midlands for Thursday afternoon’s encounter but recent results suggest the visitors may struggle to grab all three points at Pride Park.
The Betting Verdict
Derby County are unbeaten in their last five meetings at home with Middlesbrough and The Rams look capable of grinding out a point here.
The Pick :
Derby Co 1-1 Middlesbrough
