Eng. Championship
2026-10-31 - Middlesbrough vs Charlton Athletic
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Championship
Saturday 31st October 2026 - Kick Off 3pm
Middlesbrough
This is the tenth year that Middlesbrough have spent in the Championship following a one year stay in the Premier League and they have only finished below 10th once in the last nine campaigns. The disappointment is that Middlesbrough have made the Play Offs just three times in a pretty consistent period, but they came up short in the Final against Hull City at the end of last season.
Kim Hellberg retained the support of the Middlesbrough board and fans and there is real case to make that this could be the best team in the second tier this season. They moved to the top of the Championship last weekend, but there are only 5 points between Middlesbrough and 9th placed Stoke City in a congested and competitive Division. The side have a 4-2-0 record at home where Middlesbrough have scored 14 goals and conceded 9.
Middlesbrough are unbeaten in 10 games in the League with the sole defeat during that run coming at Selhurst Park in the League Cup, while the 1-5 win at Bolton Wanderers last time out means Boro have won 3 of the last 4 League games played. There will be a feeling that a little more consistency may be needed at the Riverside Stadium after Middlesbrough have dropped points in 2 of the last 3 here.
Charlton Athletic
Some fans may have begun to dream about what Charlton Athletic could achieve in the 2026/27 season when winning the opening three League games, but Nathan Jones is trying to arrest a slide since then. Last season they finished 19th on the return to the Championship and preseason expectations were that The Addicks would be in for another season-long fight to avoid the drop, which is beginning to look likely.
Results over the last two months have seen Charlton Athletic slip down into 19th place in the Championship table and they are 6 points clear of the bottom three. They will be making a long journey to the North East of England with a 1-2-3 away record in the Division and Charlton Athletic have scored 6 goals, but conceded 13 in those matches.
Charlton Athletic failed to build on an early goal against Norwich City and the eventual 1-3 defeat means they have not won any of the last 9 League games played. The side did recently score a late equaliser in an away game at Burnley, but Charlton Athletic have lost 3 of the last 4 away from The Valley and all of those defeats have been by at least two goal margins.
Head to Head
Both teams beat the other away from home last season.
Middlesbrough had beaten Charlton Athletic 4 times in a row at home, but were beaten 0-1 here in March.
Prediction
There is a lot to like about this Middlesbrough squad, but the Championship is a marathon and not a sprint, while Kim Hellberg is experienced enough to know it is a Division in which a surprise is always waiting around the corner.
The manager will be reminding his players of how quickly things can change and so Hellberg will be looking for a focused effort from his players.
Middlesbrough crushed Bolton Wanderers last week, but that way away from home and they have been held to draws in 2 of the last 3 here.
It will be something Middlesbrough look to address, but the visit of Charlton Athletic is seemingly from an opponent that can help the home team.
After a strong start to the season, Nathan Jones' men have been struggling in recent weeks and that is regardless of where Charlton Athletic have played. The side have lost 3 of the last 4 away games in the League and The Addicks have been conceding far too many goals, which is not ideal when getting ready to face an opponent who just scored five goals in a winning effort.
Charlton Athletic did win here in March and have avoided defeat when playing at West Ham United and Burnley this season and that has to be respected.
However, Middlesbrough have the momentum and the firepower to believe they can overwhelm this opponent and they should become the latest to beat Charlton Athletic by at least a two goal margin.
The Pick :
Middlesbrough 3-1 Charlton Athletic
