Hull vs Middlesbrough: Championship play-off final preview, predictions and bet builder tips

Hull vs Middlesbrough match details

Fixture: Hull City vs Middlesbrough
Competition: Championship play-off final
Date: Saturday, 23 May, 2026
Kick-off: 15:30 BST
Venue: Wembley Stadium

Hull vs Middlesbrough match prediction

Our prediction: Hull City 1-2 Middlesbrough

Hull vs Middlesbrough predicted lineups

Hull City

Our predicted XI (3-4-3): Pandur / Ajayi, Egan, Hughes / Coyle, Slater, Crooks, Giles / Millar, Belloumi / McBurnie

Middlesbrough

Our predicted XI (3-4-3): Brynn / Ayling, Fry, Malanda / Brittain, Morris, Hackney, Targett / Whittaker, Conway, Strelec

Hull vs Middlesbrough Championship play-off final bet builder tips

Over 1.5 goals to be scored

Recent matches involving both sides suggest Wembley should see goals on Saturday afternoon.

Across Middlesbrough’s last ten Championship matches, including both play-off semi-finals against Southampton, 29 goals have been scored, an average of 2.9 per game.

Hull’s recent games have also been relatively open, with 23 goals scored across their last ten fixtures, averaging 2.3 per match.

The regular-season meetings between these two sides produced six goals in total, underlining the attacking quality on display.

All signs point towards another entertaining encounter, making over 1.5 goals a strong selection.

Morgan Whittaker to score

Morgan Whittaker has been one of Middlesbrough’s standout performers this season and looks well-placed to make the difference at Wembley.

The former Plymouth attacker scored against Hull earlier in the campaign during Middlesbrough’s emphatic 4-1 victory in December 2025.

Whittaker has scored 14 goals this season and comes into the play-off final in strong form, finding the net three times across his last five matches.

He is also averaging one shot on target per game against Hull this season, highlighting how dangerous he has been in this fixture.

With Middlesbrough likely to create chances on the counterattack, we’re backing Whittaker to score once again.

Aidan Morris to be carded

Aidan Morris plays with intensity in the heart of Middlesbrough’s midfield and could easily find himself in the referee’s notebook at Wembley.

The midfielder commits over one foul per game on average in the Championship and has already collected four yellow cards this season.

Morris committed fouls in both of Middlesbrough’s play-off semi-finals against Southampton and should once again have plenty of defensive work to do here.

With the pressure and stakes of a play-off final likely to increase the physicality of the game, a booking for Morris looks a strong option.

Middlesbrough to get promoted

Middlesbrough are our tip to secure promotion to the Premier League, whether that comes in normal time, extra time or penalties.

Middlesbrough have already shown this season that they can dominate Hull, with their 4-1 victory earlier in the campaign standing out as a statement performance.

They also had a tougher semi-final test against Southampton, and while they lost, they should benefit hugely from the return of Hayden Hackney in midfield.

Middlesbrough finished seven points above Hull during the regular Championship season and appear to have more quality and balance across the pitch.

Given their momentum and attacking firepower, our experts are backing Boro to get the job done at Wembley and return to the Premier League.

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All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.