After a near miss on Thursday, we’re sticking to the card markets with a Bet Builder play for today’s Bournemouth v Middlesbrough showdown in the Championship.
“The Championship’s strictest official (is) in charge – Tim Robinson is averaging over 4.5 yellows per game and has also shown six reds (the second-best tally on that metric).”
This column missed out on a 13/2 winner by a single card on Thursday night but we’re happy to play a similar angle in Friday’s afternoon televised clash in the Championship.
As was the case for Slavia Prague v Feyenoord, the pieces fit together nicely for cards in this contest.
Both sides are in the top five for yellow cards received in this division with only Blackburn having had more than Boro.
There’s also the Championship’s strictest official in charge – Tim Robinson is averaging over 4.5 yellows per game and has also shown six reds (the second-best tally on that metric) for a healthy booking-points average of 50.
He’s shown 12 cards to Bournemouth in three games this season, while it’s six in two to Boro.
There’s also plenty at stake in the game at the Vitality Stadium.
Boro are two points outside the play-offs with a game in hand, while the hosts continue to chase automatic promotion. They remain on course to secure a top-flight return but a run of only three wins in their last eight will have the nerves jangling among Cherries’ players and supporters.
Given all this, I’ll happily put both teams down for over 1.5 cards but the way to get a big price is to throw in a couple from the player ‘shown a card’ market.
Midfield looks likely to be a big battleground and it’s one where both sides have picked up a lot of cards this term.
The best prices look to be Philip Billing (9/5) and Matt Crooks (5/2).
Billing is Bournemouth’s most-carded player this season with 11 in total but notably nine have come in his last 19 league outings.
As for Crooks, he’s been carded in 15 of 37 league stats for Boro, including eight of the last 14.
An added bonus is that Robinson has booked him both times their paths have crossed this season (the ref has also carded Billing in 2021/22).
The four legs put together form an 11/1 Bet Builder.
Source: Betfair UK English Championship