Middlesbrough vs Leicester Prediction & Betting Tips (24 February)

Middlesbrough’s clash with Leicester at the Riverside Stadium in the Championship on 24 February 2026 arrives at a fascinating moment in the season. Michael Carrick’s side have climbed to the top end of the table, sitting first in a recent standings snapshot, while Leicester find themselves down in twenty‑second, fighting to pull clear of the relegation places. Recent coverage has highlighted how intense and tactical meetings between these clubs tend to be, with both managers under pressure for different reasons: one to sustain a promotion push, the other to halt a worrying slide.

The narrative around Middlesbrough over the past two months has been largely positive despite a setback last time out. They travelled to Coventry on 16 February 2026 and were beaten 3–1, ending a superb winning streak in the league that had showcased their attacking fluency and defensive organisation. Before that defeat, Boro had been racking up victories and goals, reaching 46 league strikes with Morgan Whittaker leading their scoring charts. Their recent schedule has included high‑profile fixtures such as the away trip to Coventry, detailed in /predictions/2026-02-16/Coventry-vs-Middlesbrough-prediction, and a strong home performance against Preston, reflected in /predictions/2026-01-24/Middlesbrough-vs-Preston-prediction, underlining how competitive they have been against both promotion rivals and mid‑table sides.

Leicester, by contrast, come into this game under a cloud after a difficult run that has dominated headlines since the turn of the year. Their most recent outing was a dramatic 4–3 home defeat to Southampton on 10 February 2026, a result that extended a sequence of losses and draws in both the Championship and cup competitions. Despite scoring 41 league goals and boasting Jordan James as their leading marksman, defensive frailties have repeatedly undermined their efforts. In the last couple of months they have faced demanding fixtures such as the home meeting with Southampton, covered in /predictions/2026-02-10/Leicester-vs-Southampton-prediction, and a testing away trip to Birmingham, noted in /predictions/2026-02-07/Birmingham-vs-Leicester-prediction, matches that have reinforced the sense of a talented but fragile side.

All of this recent form feeds into a compelling tactical picture for the Riverside showdown. Middlesbrough’s high‑tempo pressing and confidence in possession should allow them to target Leicester’s uncertain back line, especially in transitions, while the visitors will hope their individual quality in attack can exploit any space left behind. The last head‑to‑head in November 2025 finished level, showing that Leicester can still rise to the occasion, but the current momentum clearly favours the hosts. Balancing both teams’ recent performances, league positions, and the psychological impact of their latest results, a home win by 3 : 1, echoed again at 3 : 1, 3 : 1, and 3 : 1, looks like a realistic and well‑grounded correct‑score predict