Middlesbrough have had a perfect start to the new Championship season, winning three games out of three to sit second in the standings as the end of August approaches.Sheffield United, on the other hand, are propping up the table after a dismal opening to the campaign. Will the Blades finally get off the mark this weekend?Middlesbrough win – 11/10 with SpreadexMiddlesbrough to score first – 4/5 with Betfred Tommy Conway to score any time – 13/8 with MidniteMiddlesbrough vs Sheffield United oddsFind the latest Middlesbrough vs Sheffield United betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change. Stay in-play between matches with bet365’s live casino! Middlesbrough vs Sheffield United predictionsIn May 2024, Leeds United suffered play-off heartache.The Whites finished third in the Championship that season. They were generally excellent but could not quite match the achievements of Leicester City and Ipswich Town, who went up automatically.Leeds went on to reach the play-off final, but they suffered a 1-0 defeat by Southampton (who had finished fourth in the regular campaign) at Wembley Stadium.It was the worst possible way to finish a campaign, but Leeds dusted themselves down and made amends the following season. Indeed, Daniel Farke’s team bounced back from that miserable afternoon in north London to win the Championship title in 2024/25.It is a feat that Sheffield United are aiming to replicate this time around. They too finished third last season and lost the play-off final to the division’s fourth-place finishers in Sunderland. But if they are to win the title as Leeds did last term, a vast improvement is needed.Even the most pessimistic Blade could not have envisaged their team making such a poor start to the current campaign. Sheffield United have lost each of their three matches so far, going down to Bristol City (1-4), Swansea City (0-1) and Millwall (0-1). They are bottom of the table – below even their arch-rivals Sheffield Wednesday, currently the biggest crisis club in the entire Football League.To compound their Championship woes, United also lost to Birmingham City 2-1 in the first round of the EFL Cup.Ruben Selles is under pressure already. Leeds stuck with Farke after their play-off defeat, whereas United opted to twist: Chris Wilder departed and Selles was installed as his replacement.There is still a long way to go this season – 43 games to be precise – but Selles needs to turn things around soon if he is to avoid being an early-season managerial casualty.“Right now we are in a tough situation,” Selles told BBC Radio Sheffield after watching his team lose to Millwall last weekend. “We need to start to show a bit more, especially in the beginning of the game. We can’t wait to go behind before we start our game. “I am not about to open the book of excuses. It is me as the first one to do my job better; it is always like that. After analysing my performance and what I want to do with the team comes the rest.”Middlesbrough vs Sheffield United betting tips. 18+ GambleAware.org – Please play responsibly.Middlesbrough vs Sheffield United betting tipsMiddlesbrough host Sheffield United this weekend with the latter desperately needing a win.Middlesbrough win excellent valueMiddlesbrough have had the exact opposite start to the season, beating Swansea, Millwall and Norwich City to sit second in the standings.Rob Edwards has made an instant impact after being appointed as Michael Carrick’s successor at the Riverside Stadium.Boro will not be getting carried away just yet, but they certainly look well positioned to at the very least challenge for a top-six finish.Sheffield United desperately need to stop the rot, so a point would be a good result for them on Saturday.Unfortunately for Selles and co., the momentum is with Middlesbrough. Go for a Middlesbrough win at 11/10 with Spreadex Boro poised to strike firstMiddlesbrough have scored the first goal in each of their three Championship matches up to now.They have not always broken the deadlock early on (the score was 0-0 at half-time against both Swansea and Millwall), but Boro have developed a knack for striking before their opponents.Confidence in the Sheffield United camp is close to rock-bottom after four consecutive defeats, and that will make it difficult for them to draw first blood at the Riverside.At odds close to evens, it is well worth tipping Edwards’s side to score the opening goal of this lunchtime kick-off in the northeast. Select Middlesbrough to score first at 4/5 with Betfred Conway can strike againMiddlesbrough have scored six goals so far this season, but no single player has contributed more than one.Tommy Conway was their most recent goal-getter, converting his team’s second in the victory over Norwich last time out.The attacker had a decent start to his Boro career in 2024/25, scoring 13 goals in all competitions.Conway, who has started all three league matches at centre-forward, will be looking to improve on that return this term.Against a Sheffield United team that is conceding an average of two goals per game, Conway should get chances to double his tally for the season. Back Tommy Conway to score any time at 13/8 with Midnite Middlesbrough vs Sheffield United predicted lineupsMiddlesbrough expected lineup: Brynn; Jones, Fry, Ayling; Brittain, Morris, Azaz, Silvera; Hackney, Whittaker; Conway.Sheffield United expected lineup: Cooper; Godfrey, Bindon, Robinson, Burrows; Peck, O’Hare, Hamer; Brooks, Campbell, Barry. Where to watch Middlesbrough vs Sheffield UnitedLocation: Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, England.Date and time: Saturday, 30th August, 12.30pm.How to watch: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.More Championship predictionsWe have plenty more Championship predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.About the authorGreg LeaGreg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootballCommercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. 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