S.P.Read Esq: Middlesbrough v Brighton

Our daily columnist and pundit S.P. Read Esq. looks ahead to Saturday’s Championship game at 12.30pm between MIDDLESBROUGH v BRIGHTON and finds the best opportunities available on Star Spreads, the home of sports spread betting.

A gigantic diamond, the size of a tennis ball, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in London next month and it’s expected to raise in excess of £50 million.

In terms of today’s Middlesbrough v Brighton match the rewards are equivalent to TWO of those diamond tennis balls !!

The Championship playoff final is said to be the richest game in football, worth over £100 million, but by a quirk of the fixture list we’ll have two such games this season.

Middlesbrough OR Brighton could gain promotion to the Premier League at the Riverside today without having to go through the play-off route.

The stakes couldn’t be higher on the last day of the regular season but the maths are easy….

A MIDDLESBROUGH WIN OR DRAW would ensure promotion for Middlesbrough
A BRIGHTON WIN would ensure promotion for Brighton

In both cases the unsuccessful club will be in the play-offs.

So, with Boro having the draw on side, as well as home advantage, they are definitely holding the trump cards.

In poker terms – the pre-flop probability runs something like:

MIDDLESBROUGH – POCKET KINGS
BRIGHTON – ACE, KING

The concern, a little, for Boro’s fans is that they don’t develop the same kind of stage-fright they showed in the play-off final at Wembley last season when they simply failed to turn up and were brushed aside by Norwich.

Boro have won three of their last four games against Brighton and beat them 3-0 earlier this season in the reverse fixture. How relevant that will be is questionable as Brighton slumped in form in the middle of the season but have finished strongly and are now 13 games unbeaten with nine wins and four draws.

Middlesbrough v Brighton & Hove Albion
Championship
12:30 Sky Sports 1 / Sky Sports 1 HD

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
(Maximum 10 matches)
Dec 2015 CHAMPIONSHIP Brighton 0 – 3 Middlesbro
May 2015 CHAMPIONSHIP Middlesbro 0 – 0 Brighton
Oct 2014 CHAMPIONSHIP Brighton 1 – 2 Middlesbro
Mar 2014 CHAMPIONSHIP Brighton 0 – 2 Middlesbro
Dec 2013 CHAMPIONSHIP Middlesbro 0 – 1 Brighton
Apr 2013 CHAMPIONSHIP Middlesbro 0 – 2 Brighton
Oct 2012 CHAMPIONSHIP Brighton 0 – 1 Middlesbro
Mar 2012 CHAMPIONSHIP Brighton 1 – 1 Middlesbro
Dec 2011 CHAMPIONSHIP Middlesbro 1 – 0 Brighton
Sep 2003 CARLING CUP Middlesbro 1 – 0 Brighton

I’m taking Middlesbrough to get the job done. Brighton might just push too hard given they need the win and Aitor Karanka’s Boro have been particularly strong in defence this season.

However, it’s the bookings market that again appeals most on Star Spreads. A nice win at Anfield on Thursday and I am sticking with a BUY at 46 with Star Spreads in a game where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

CLICK FOR MIDDLESBROUGH v BRIGHTON MARKETS ON STAR SPREADS

RECOMMENDED BETS (scale 1-100 points)

BUY BOOKINGS for 35 points at 46 with Star Spreads

BETS RECORD FROM FEBRUARY
2 Feb -275.00 (SELL 1st WEST HAM MATCH GOAL 25 points at 47)
3 Feb +116.25 (SELL CHELSEA SUPREMACY 75 points at 0.55)
6 Feb -100.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 25 points at 44)
7 Feb -735.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 35 points at 51)
8 Feb -1260.00 (BUY 1st MATCH GOAL 35 points at 41)
9 Feb +245.00 (SELL 1st WEST HAM MATCH GOAL 35 points at 52)
9 Feb -455.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 77)
10 Feb -490.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 76)
13 Feb -1295.00 (SELL 1st MATCH GOAL 35 points at 40)
14 Feb +315.00 (BUY 1st MATCH GOAL 35 points at 36)
15 Feb -350.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 80)
16 Feb +175.00 (SELL 1st PSG MATCH GOAL 25 points at 46)
17 Feb -1050.00 (SELL 1st ROMA MATCH GOAL 30 points at 55)
18 Feb +0.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 50 points at 77)
19 Feb -150.00 (SELL 1st EVERTON MATCH GOAL 25 points at 49)
19 Feb -750.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 50 points at 75)
20 Feb +275.00 (SELL 1st CHELSEA MATCH GOAL 25 points at 46)
20 Feb +1400.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 50 points at 76)
21 Feb +0.00 (SELL 1st MAN U MATCH GOAL 45 points at 37)
21 Feb +840.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 70 points at 73)
23 Feb -1270.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 70 points at 72)
25 Feb +210.00 (SELL 1st MAN U MATCH GOAL 70 points at 32)
27 Feb -1500.00 (BUY 1st MATCH GOAL 50 points at 42)
28 Feb +1200.00 (BUY 3rd MATCH GOAL 80 points at 75)
28 Feb -68.00 (BUY TOTAL MATCH GOALS 80 points at 2.85)
29 Feb +4000.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 80 points at 78)
3 Mar NO BET
4 Mar -108.00 (BUY CORNERS 40 points at 10.7)
5 Mar +570.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 30 points at 56)
6 Mar -1200 (SELL 1st MAN U MATCH GOAL 30 points at 50)
8 Mar +90.00 (SELL 1st ARSENAL MATCH GOAL 30 points at 44)
9 Mar -240.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 30 points at 68)
10 Mar +150.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 30 points at 55)
12 Mar -470.00 (BUY CORNERS 100 points at 11.7)
13 Mar -320.00 (SELL 1st WEST HAM MATCH GOAL 40 points at 60)
15 Mar +840.00 (assorted Cheltenham Festival trades)
16 Mar -65.00 (assorted Cheltenham Festival trades)
17 Mar +148.00 (assorted Cheltenham Festival trades)
18 Mar -250.00 (assorted Cheltenham Festival trades)
19 Mar -420.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 78)
20 Mar +446.25 (BUY CORNERS 85 points at 10.75)
24 Mar -35.00 (BUY NORTHERN IRELAND 35 points at 11)
26 Mar +175.00 (BUY CORNERS 100 points at 10.25)
29 Mar +0.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 25 points at 77)
30 Mar -450.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 25 points at 38)
2 Apr -840.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 35 points at 44)
3 Apr -37.50 (BUY CORNERS 75 points at 10.5)
5 Apr +2805.00 (BUY BOOKINGS TWO MATCHES)
6 Apr +720.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 45 points at 75)
7 Apr +1665.00 (BUY AINTREE DISTANCES 45 points at 37)
8 Apr -775.25 (BUY AINTREE DISTANCES 35 points at 38)
9 Apr -310.00 (ASSORTED GRAND NATIONAL TRADES)
10 Apr +455.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 35 points at 47)
11 Apr +525.00 (SELL 2nd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 65)
12 Apr -455.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 64)
13 Apr -625.00 (BUY WEST HAM WIN INDEX 50 points at 12.5)
14 Apr +1320.00 (SELL TIME OF 1st DORTMUND GOAL 30 points at 49)
16 Apr -120.00 (SELL TIME OF 1st MATCH GOAL 30 points at 37)
17 Apr -570.00 (SELL TIME OF 1st MATCH GOAL 30 points at 71)
18 Apr +120.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 30 points at 75)
19 Apr -540.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 30 points at 72)
21 Apr -900.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 50 points at 72)
23 Apr +650.00 (SELL 1st MAN U GOAL 50 points at 47)
24 Apr +100.00 (SELL 1st WATFORD GOAL 50 points at 57)
25 Apr +0.00 (SELL 1st SPURS GOAL 50 points at 33)
26 Apr -760.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 40 points at 49)
27 Apr +0.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 50 points at 50)
28 Apr -990.00 (SELL 1st LIVERPOOL GOAL 30 points at 57)
30 Apr -1260.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 60 points at 69)
1 May +2700.00 (SELL 2nd MATCH GOAL 60 points at 62)
2 May +3700.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 50 points at 46)
3 May +105.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 77)
4 May -630.00 (SELL 3rd MATCH GOAL 35 points at 72)
5 May +455.00 (BUY BOOKINGS 35 points at 52)