Monday’s football tips: Blades look good at 23/20 in the corner handicap against high-flying Boro

Fahad Umar
February 8, 2026
2:23 pm

Middlesbrough can move top of the EFL Championship tonight but it won’t be easy getting the win they need away to in-form Sheffield United.

With leaders Coventry City slipping up again on Saturday, Boro can hit the summit if they bank three more precious points.

Bramall Lane isn’t an easy place to visit though and the Blades are unbeaten in their last eight home games in the Championship.

Sheffield United vs Middlesbrough

This is a tough one to call due to Sheffield United’s home form and storming run that has seen Middlesbrough win their last five Championship games.

But the bookies have the Blades as 13/10 favourites, while Boro are as big as 11/5 with BetMGM, which looks a little overpriced given their recent form.

Betting on a tight game looks the best option and the half-time draw pays 5/4 with Bet365. That bet landed in the last meeting as Middlesbrough edged a 1-0 win at home.

We saw 14 corners in that game, with nine of them going to the Blades. So over 10.5 flag kicks looks a decent option at 6/5 with Paddy Power while Sheffield United -1 in the corner handicap appeals at 23/20 with BetVictor.

Fancy backing a team with a goal advantage or underdog status? Take a look at our Masterclass on Handicap Betting to understand how the margins shift.

Villarreal vs Espanyol

There’s an intriguing game in La Liga tonight as Villarreal and Espanyol both look to get back to winning ways after slumps in form.

The Yellow Submarine have been torpedoed in recent weeks and need a lift after going five games without a win in all competitions.

But they still sit fourth in La Liga, eight points ahead of an Espanyol side who have performed above expectations after flirting with the drop last term.

The team from Barcelona have also hit a deep of late, going five without a win like Villarreal, and are 19/5 outsiders tonight, with the home win priced at just 7/10.

Both teams have been leaking goals of late so I’m going to combine BTTS with over 2.5 goals, which pays 11/10 at Coral.

Gerard Moreno netted twice for Villarreal in their last outing and he’s 23/20 with BetMGM to either score or assist tonight.

Roma vs Cagliari

There’s a couple of games in Serie A tonight and the pick of them sees Roma host Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s men lost 1-0 at Udinese last time out, a defeat that has damaged their push for a Champions League place.

They will be looking to bounce back at home but it won’t be easy against a Cagliari side who have won their last three in Serie A.

Two of those wins came against Juventus and Fiorentina so this could be a tricky one for Roma if they fail to hit top form.

Cagliari have conceded just once in their last three matches so a Roma win with under 3.5 goals could be the shout at 21/20 with Betway.

Former Everton stopper Yerry Mina is now at the heart of Cagliari’s defence and he has picked up yellows in three of his last six games. So it could pay to back him for a card at 23/10 with Betway.