Middlesbrough vs Cardiff: prediction and stats
ChampionshipRegular Season - 11Kick-off on October 17, 2026 at 02:00 PM (UTC)Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
The Footlab model makes Cardiff the favourite at 37%, against 28% for a draw and 35% for Middlesbrough. The most likely score is 1-1.
This model is measured at 53.9% 1X2 accuracy on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. See the measured accuracy
Probabilities recomputed on Aug 23, 2026 — the full match card is recomputed continuously until kick-off.
Who will win Middlesbrough vs Cardiff?
A very open match: only 73 Elo points separate Middlesbrough (1,931) and Cardiff (2,005).
What is the recent form of both teams?
Over their last 15 matches in all competitions, Middlesbrough have 4 wins, 6 draws and 5 defeats; Cardiff have 8, 5 and 2.
The competition is shown for every match: in pre-season, several of these games are friendlies.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2026 | Blackburn(away) | 1-2 | Championship |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Lincoln(home) | 2-1 | Championship |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Wrexham(home) | 1-0 | League Cup |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Espanyol(home) | 3-3 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Celtic(away) | 1-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2026 | Derby(away) | 2-2 | Championship |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Wrexham(home) | 1-1 | Championship |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Swindon Town(home) | 3-2 | League Cup |
| Aug 1, 2026 | AS Roma(home) | 4-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Jul 25, 2026 | Forest Green(away) | 5-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
What does the head-to-head say?
Across the last 6 meetings: 4 Middlesbrough win(s), 1 draw(s), 1 Cardiff win(s).
| Date | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 4, 2025 | Middlesbrough 1-1 Cardiff | Championship |
| Aug 31, 2024 | Cardiff 0-2 Middlesbrough | Championship |
| Apr 27, 2024 | Cardiff 1-4 Middlesbrough | Championship |
| Oct 3, 2023 | Middlesbrough 2-0 Cardiff | Championship |
| Feb 11, 2023 | Cardiff 1-3 Middlesbrough | Championship |
| Sep 13, 2022 | Middlesbrough 2-3 Cardiff | Championship |
Last archived meeting: Middlesbrough vs Cardiff on Jan 4, 2025
How many goals should we expect?
Middlesbrough score 1.5 and concede 1.3 goals per match over their last 15; Cardiff score 2.5 and concede 1.5. The model gives a 50% probability of over 2.5 goals and 55% for both teams to score.
| Club | Goals scored / match | Goals conceded / match | Clean sheets | Both teams scored | Over 2.5 goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | 1.5 | 1.3 | 3 | 10/15 | 9/15 |
| Cardiff | 2.5 | 1.5 | 3 | 11/15 | 9/15 |
Over the last 15 matches in all competitions.
Where do both teams sit in the table?
Middlesbrough sit 11th in Championship (3 points from 2 matches) and Cardiff sit 12th (2 points from 2 matches).
| # | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Middlesbrough | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 12 | Cardiff | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Verdict, probable XI and verified absences
The full match card recomputes this prediction continuously until kick-off: multi-market verdict, player-by-player probable XI and web-verified absences.
Open the full match card in the app
No odds, no affiliation: the method is published and the accuracy is measured.
How does Footlab compute this prediction?
The model combines both teams' Elo ratings (anchored by competition pool), their recent form weighted by opponent strength, home advantage and a Poisson matrix for scorelines. Its accuracy is measured continuously on the predictions actually published. Methodology and measured accuracy
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the favourite for Middlesbrough vs Cardiff?
- The Footlab model makes Cardiff the favourite at 37%, against 28% for a draw and 35% for Middlesbrough.
- Where and when is Middlesbrough vs Cardiff played?
- Middlesbrough vs Cardiff is played on October 17, 2026 at 02:00 PM (UTC) at Riverside Stadium, in the Championship.
- Will there be over 2.5 goals?
- The Footlab model gives a 50% probability of at least three goals in this match.
- How reliable is this prediction?
- The Footlab model is measured at 53.9% correct 1X2 outcomes on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. The breakdown by competition and Elo gap is published on the accuracy page.