Stoke’s 2-1 win at Bolton on Saturday will have taken its toll on the group, ahead of facing one of the best teams in the league.

Stoke had to play with 10 for 70+ minutes after Maksym Talovierov’s early red card, they had just 32% possession, and only 24% in the second half, as Bolton generated 3.13 xG but scored their only goal in the 92nd minute.

Boro have looked like automatic promotion contenders since gameweek 1 and got the better of newly-relegated Wolves, 1-0, at The Riverside on Saturday.

This bet has won in 8/9 Boro league games and they won the most recent head-to-head, 2-1 at Stoke earlier this year.

Preston have lost seven of nine league outings this season, and though Graham Alexander looks a shrewd appointment in the dugout, he’s yet to turn the tide.

They only managed 0.65 xG in a 1-0 home defeat to Millwall on Saturday, to begin Alexander’s reign, and after a positive first half they fell away to only have two shots in the second period and conceded in the 79th minute.

Birmingham have only lost once in their first nine, in the league, and they returned from the international break with a 1-0 win at West Brom.

They dominated the first half, generating 1.88 xG to West Brom’s 0.38, before seeing it out and they’re now inside the play-offs on goal difference.

Without a significant improvement in performance level, Preston aren’t yet up to the challenge, currently rock-bottom with four points.

This bet has won in all four of Blackburn’s league away games this term, three draws and one defeat.

Bristol City will have been frustrated with a 1-1 draw at Charlton on Saturday, hard done by as goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo should’ve been sent off for fouling Yu Hirakawa, who would’ve had an open goal if not for the late challenge - no foul given.

City have underperformed to score three times from 4.13 at home this season, and they could cut loose against Blackburn.

Rovers’ last two away trips have been kind, Preston (24th) and Portsmouth (19th), but they’ve taken just one point and conceded twice in both games.

Wrexham have seen BTTS in 4/4 Championship home games so far this season.

They have conceded 1.50 xG or more in each of their last three home league games, and West Brom should have enough to contribute having underperformed in front of goal of late.

West Brom haven’t scored in their last two, which is giving us a bigger price for this bet, but they generated over 1 xG last time out and have looked capable, scoring in each of their first seven before this drop-off.

Wrexham have failed to score in only 2/9 in the league, and this bet landed comfortably in both meetings last season - it was in after 42 minutes as West Brom won 3-2 at Wrexham, and after 47 minutes in a 2-2 draw at The Hawthorns.