Hull City

The Tigers have enjoyed their best start to a season in 19 years under manager Steve Bruce, who has seen his side win their last three outing in the Championship.

A 3-2 victory over Yorkshire rivals Leeds United at Elland Road in midweek will have given the squad plenty of confidence, for what will be a difficult trip to the East Midlands against another promotion contender.

Hull have shown plenty of resilience in the league this term and their three recent wins saw the side come back after going behind to claim the victories in two of the encounters.

If Bruce’s side go behind at the King Power Stadium, don’t rule out the Tigers still getting something out of the game, as they look to strengthen their position in the top six (28/1 Leicester HT/ Hull FT).

Hull are still without the likes of Matty Fryatt, Jack Hobbs and Tom Cairney through injury but so far they have been able to fill the void left by the trio.

In better news for Bruce, he has been able to welcome back Paul McKenna into the fold and the influential midfielder will be able to add plenty experience in the middle of the park to contrast with the likes of Robert Koren.

Jay Simpson was largely quiet against Leeds but he is a threat at Championship level and Leicester will have to keep an eye out for the striker, who has bagged three goals this season.

As for the Foxes manager Nigel Pearson he will be determined to get one over on his former employers who he joined in June 2010 before returning to Leicester just over a year later.

The home side will be pleased to welcome back playmaker and talented goalscorer Andy King who has been out of action with a hamstring injury but will return for Sunday’s encounter.

Leicester themselves are on a decent run at the moment, having secured wins over both Wolves and Burnley in their last two outings.

Looking at both sides, this game should certainly have goals in it, as Hull have only failed to score once against the Foxes in their last 18 league meetings.

With King returning and the likes of Jamie Vardy and Ben Marshall at their disposal, Leicester have the ability to score goals and backed by their home crowd they will be a tough proposition.

However, Hull have looked very impressive in recent weeks and Bruce and his men may well be heading back to Yorkshire with all three points on Sunday evening (11/1 Hull 2-1 win – correct score).

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Rovers will be hoping for a fast start against The Tigers at Ewood Park, with the grumblings of discontent among the supporters showing no signs of easing.

The Lancashire outfit’s relegation last May was the culmination of a hugely disappointing season both on and off the pitch.

On it Steve Kean’s men struggled to find any consistency, while off it, the fans loudly voiced their opposition to both Kean and the club’s Indian owners, Venky’s.

The atmosphere around Ewood was poisonous, unpleasant and at times aggressive. Kean will be all too aware that a poor start against Hull will see the moans and groans return.

Rovers have been busy in the transfer market so far this summer in a bid to ensure immediate promotion, bringing in eight new players, including Colin Kazim-Richards, Nuno Gomes, Danny Murphy, Leon Best and Dickson Etuhu.

Four made their debuts against Ipswich on Saturday with one of those, Kazim-Richards, giving Rovers the lead (Kazim-Richards 11/2 to score first on Wednesday).

That looked to be enough for Rovers but they paid the price for sitting back and trying to hang onto their lead when Ryan Lowe scored a late own-goal to ensure a share of the spoils.

Co-owners Balaji Rao and Venkatesh Rao as well as global adviser Shebby Singh watched the game against the Tractor Boys amid speculation Kean may lose his job should Rovers make a poor start.

Singh even had to apologise over the summer when he suggested Kean would be sacked if Rovers lost three games in a row while speaking at a fans’ forum.

It all means there will be nerves aplenty upon kick-off in Lancashire, with the atmosphere once again threatening to turn toxic if the home side make a poor start.

Hull will be no doubt aware of that and will look to capitalise on the disharmony on the terraces by striking early.

The Tigers travel across the Pennines on a high after a 1-0 victory over Brighton at the KC Stadium on Saturday. Jay Simpson came off the bench to grab the only goal at the KC and is handily priced at  15/2 to do so again.

Boss Steve Bruce arrived earlier in the summer charged with launching a sustained promotion bid this season and he has already brought in six new players – Nick Proschwitz, Sone Aluko, Alex Bruce, Abdoulaye Faye, Ben Amos and Eldin Jakupovic.

With at least two more expected to follow before the deadline and a run of just one defeat in seven games in pre-season, the club look well set to claim their first win at Blackburn since 1986.

Their odds of 3/1 appear great value given Blackburn’s off-field disharmony, with even more value found in the half time/full time markets.

Blackburn and their fans will be nervous, while Hull will be determined to capitalise on that so a strong opening from the visitors is likely. A Hull City double half time/full time result has great odds of 6/1 and appears the value bet in this encounter.

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Blackburn Rovers

Rovers manager Steve Kean will still be ruing his side’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town at Portman Road last weekend, after they conceded a late own goal to give the Tractor Boys a share of the spoils.

Looking at the starting line-up, Blackburn (10/1 Championship outright) have been able to keep hold of most of their squad from the Premier League last term and with the likes of Nuno Gomez and Danny Murphy in their ranks, Kean has made some shrewd signings, with plenty of experience in the transfer window.

As for Hull, they made a promising start under manager Steve Bruce on home turf, with a 1-0 victory over a much fancied Brighton outfit.

The Tigers did have to wait till just five minutes from time before Jay Simpson scored his first goal in 16 months for the East Yorkshire club and they would need to create many more chances against Rovers, if they are to get anything out of the game at Ewood Park.

It might not be the most friendly of atmospheres in this battle of the Roses clash but Blackburn should have the quality to edge out the Tigers.

Just down the road Bolton Wanderers will be in action for their first home outing of the Championship campaign when they take on Derby County (Bolton 8/11, draw 5/2, Derby 4/1 – Match Betting).

The Trotters, who are fancied as the favourites to win the Championship title this season, were brought down to earth last weekend when they were convincingly beaten by Lancashire rivals Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor.

Manager Owen Coyle has plenty of experience in the Championship having previously managed Burnley and he will be eager to get Bolton’s first points on the board at the Reebok Stadium.

Derby have goals in them but what has been worrying for boss Nigel Clough is the goals that have been leaked at the back.

Comfortable leads over Scunthorpe United and Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup and the Championship have been squandered and Bolton (7/1 Championship outright) could record a convincing win, if the likes of Kevin Davies and Marvin Sordell are firing on all cylinders.

As for Burnley they will be hoping to build on that dream start to the season when they travel to the North East to face Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough 11/10, draw 12/5, Burnley 12/5 – Match Betting).

The combination of Charlie Austin and Martin Paterson looks like it could be a fine partnership in the Championship this term and Boro will have to be on their guard, having already tasted defeat at Barnsley last weekend.

Middlesbrough (25/1 Championship outright) have brought in Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran on loan to strengthen their options in the middle of the park and he is set to make his debut on Tuesday night.

Burnley have gone somewhat under the radar in the build-up to the campaign and they look like they should be able to secure a draw at the Riverside, against a Boro side who have not had the best of records on home soil in recent seasons.

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Ian Holloway’s Blackpool are seeking a immediate return to the Premier League and have set about their task in fine style, racking up 56 goals – the second highest in the division – to sit in fourth place, two points behind Cardiff in third and a further four away from West Ham in second (Blackpool 10/3 to earn promotion).

Twenty-three of those goals have come from strike duo Kevin and Matty Phillips. Evergreen former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips is showing no signs of slowing down despite his 38 years and he leads the Tangerines’ goalscoring charts with 13.

Matt Phillips meanwhile has shown sparkling form since returning from a loan spell at League One side Sheffield United in the autumn, bagging hat-tricks against Barnsley on Boxing Day and Fleetwood in the FA Cup in January.

The pair are unsurprisingly joint 5/1 favourites to score first against Hull but if a decision needs to be made then the wise old head of Kevin Phillips could just be the one to fire Blackpool in front.

In fact goals are almost guaranteed at both ends whenever Blackpool play – Holloway’s men have netted in all but one of their 13 matches in 2012, scoring exactly three times on five of those occasions. However, they have kept just one clean sheet in 12 games.

They beat Bristol City 3-1 at Ashton Gate on Saturday to bounce back from a heavy 4-1 thrashing at home to leaders West Ham and a 2-0 loss at Everton in the FA Cup.

They have now lost just once in nine league games and prior to the West Ham defeat had won eight home games in a row.

They also have the upper hand in recent fixtures between these two sides, winning three of the last four meetings, including a 1-0 win at the KC Stadium in August.

But before you lump all of your money on Blackpool, it is worth noting that Nick Barmby’s Hull are unbeaten in their last six Championship matches as they launch a late bid for the play-offs.

The Tigers are currently in ninth place on 51 points but have at least one game in hand on all the sides above them and a win on the Fylde Coast will lift them into the play-off places.

In terms of goals they are at the opposite end of the scale to their opponents. The Tigers have conceded only three in their last 11 games, but have scored just seven in the same period.

If they are going to score then it will more than likely come from Matty Fryatt (7/1 to score first) or Robert Koren (8/1). The pair have scored 18 of the club’s 31 league goals this season.

It is that chronic lack of goals though that will see them struggle to take the points from Bloomfield Road, with the prediction being a 3-1 victory for the Seasiders priced at 16/1.

Tigers fans should not despair however. With eight further games in March their defensive solidity could yet bear fruit. And if they can somehow start scoring more freely, then their odds of 13/2 to go up may be worth a flutter.

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QPR

Neil Warnock’s men have gone 19 league games without defeat, including a 2-1 win over closest rivals Cardiff last Saturday.

But the R’s home form is more impressive than their away run and Hull pose another big test of their promotion credentials.

The Tigers are unbeaten in five games and showing signs of waking from their early season slumber, while history is also on their side – QPR have not won at Hull in the league since 1970 (six matches).

Meanwhile, second placed Cardiff have suffered a disappointing run in recent weeks, with just one win in their last five games, but should get back on track this Saturday.

The Bluebirds welcome bottom club Preston, who have won just four of their 19 league games to date. Darren Ferguson is under immense pressure at Deepdale and defeat could see the end of his reign.

It may be a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ at Portman Road, as Roy Keane’s Ipswich entertain high-flying Swansea (17/10 – match betting).

The Tractor Boys sealed a place in the Carling Cup semi-finals this week, but the league is proving a struggle for the East Anglians, who are currently just four points and five places outside the dropzone.

Swansea could cause more concerns for Keane on Saturday, with Brendan Rodgers’ men seeking a fifth win of the season on their travels.

Derby suffered a late defeat at Burnley last weekend, but the Rams can bounce back this week against a Norwich side on the same points as Nigel Clough’s men and just one place behind.

Leeds have gone six games without defeat and are likely to move into the play-off positions this weekend. Simon Grayson’s team will face an improving Crystal Palace (Leeds 8/11, Draw 5/2, C Palace 18/5 – Match Betting), but the Eagles face a massive test of their progress in front of an intimidating Elland Road atmosphere.

Coventry are the surprise package of the season so far and they will expect to take the points against a struggling Middlesbrough. But Boro are moving forward under Tony Mowbray and are good enough to take a point from the Ricoh Arena.

There’s a South Yorkshire derby at the Keepmoat Stadium and it would be a big surprise if the home team didn’t take maximum points. Doncaster (5/6 – match betting) have lost just once at home and welcome a Barnsley team that have taken just eight points from a possible 27 on the road.

Nottingham Forest have struggled for goals this season and after suffering defeat at Leicester, they face another potential banana skin this weekend. Bristol City have moved out of the bottom three with back-to-back wins, but it looks like Forest will end their hopes of three on the bounce.

Portsmouth’s form this season has pretty much summed up the unpredictable Championship, but they will be boosted by the visit of Burnley this Saturday (Pompey 7/5, Draw 12/5, Burnley 17/10 – Match Betting). The Clarets are the only team in the division not to have won away from home and those woes are likely to continue with a long journey to the south coast.

Sheffield United’s presence in the bottom five is a big shock to many, but they are struggling and have won just three of their nine home games to date. Reading are the visitors to Bramall Lane and the Royals are capable of causing more frustration for the Blades fans.

It was a massive surprise to look at the table and see Watford have won just twice at home and that column may look the same coming Saturday evening, as in-form Leicester visit Vicarage Road. Sven Goran Eriksson looks to have inspired the Foxes, who are now up to mid-table and expect on-loan Roman Bednar (7/4 to score anytime) to get on the scoresheet soon.

The evening match sees two teams who are likely to be scrapping to survive at the end of the season, go head-to-head. Scunthorpe’s away form has been impressive, with five wins on their travels, but they’re lack of form at Glanford Park will eventually dent confidence and Millwall are a decent bet to add to the Iron’s woes.

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Hull City

Following their relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season, the Tigers have been forced to sell a number of their top earners, including Irish winger Stephen Hunt, who has now joined Wolves, and goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, now with West Brom.

There has also been speculation that the Premier League may withhold parachute payments as the Tigers reportedly still owe money to other top-flight sides in transfer fees.

However, Bartlett is adamant administration is not on the horizon for the cash-strapped club and is confident Hull can drag themselves out of their current plight.

“I can categorically state that administration is simply not on the agenda,” explained Bartlett in local paper, the Hull Daily Mail.

“We are well down the line in our plans to restructure the finances of the club and we are very close to meeting our targets.”

Hull kick-off their Championship campaign with a home fixture against Swansea City on August 7 (Hull 23/20, draw 23/10, Swansea 11/5).

Former Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson is now in the KC Stadium hot seat after being convinced that the Tigers had the ambition to get back into the Premier League.

However, at present, the club have limited funds available for new transfers and Pearson may have to work with what he has already got at Hull until the club’s financial worries are eased (Hull 6/1 to be promoted).

It has been widely reported that Hull are around £40million in debt and are still looking to get some of their top earners off the books. Jimmy Bullard is still contracted to Hull City and the Tigers are desperately trying to offload the midfielder who earns a reported £50,000 a week.

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Hull City

The club are confident the new kit will be worn to success as they look to immediately bounce back and return to the Premier League after relegation last season.

Hull have seen a few changes ahead of the new campaign with Nigel Pearson coming in as new manager, Adidas as a new kit manufacturer and a few different faces in the playing squad, but totesport’s support remains.

The bookmaker has continued its sponsorship of the Tigers as they go into the second year of the two-year deal with the club and is offering fans a tempting 16/1 about them topping the table.

The Tigers have had a strong start to preparations ahead of their new life in the Championship after beating Winterton Rangers 2-1 and romping home to beat North Ferriby.

Goals from Peter Halmosi, Mark Cullen, Daniel Cousin, Will Atkinson, Danny Emerton and new signing Noberto Solano secured the win over the Northern Premier League Division One side.

Solano joined City after playing for Leicester last season under Pearson and will add some experience to a side which is looking to blood some young players in the Championship.

The former Aston Villa and Newcastle United winger will join up with Premier League veteran Nicky Barmby who will be looking to feature in Pearson’s plans this season.

Barmby played alongside his new manager when the pair were at Middlesbrough and the 36-year-old believes the new Tigers boss will do well at the KC Stadium.

He said: “You can tell certain players are going to stay on in the game and become a manager and Nige was one of those characters.

“I still have a lot of desire to be involved in the first team but with the young lads there is a lot of fulfilment there and I’m really enjoying it,” he added.

The Yorkshire side will face a tough challenge as they look to return to the top flight in a Championship division with plenty of strong-looking squads.

Hull will also have some juicing Yorkshire derbies, with Leeds United, Sheffield United, Doncaster Rovers and Barnsley all looking to have successful seasons.

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Iain Dowie

Former Tottenham man Gardner has been sidelined for two months with an ankle problem and has returned to training this week.

But Dowie believes Wednesday’s big game at the KC Stadium will come too soon and is hoping Gardner may be fit enough to face Sunderland on Saturday.

Victory for the Tigers in their game in hand will see them go level on points with fourth-bottom West Ham and Dowie remains upbeat about the prospects of survival – with Hull 1/5 to be relegated.

The Hull chief stated: “If we win our game in hand, if we put decent points on the board in the next two games we’ll be right in the shake-up.

“We’ve got Wigan to play, that’s a crucial game. There’ll be some twists and turns but we’ve got to make sure we look after our business.”

Hull will also be boosted by the fact that two of their last three games will be at home, against Sunderland and Liverpool, where they have lost just three of their last 13 games.

Meanwhile, the Tigers will make late checks on midfielders Dean Marney (illness) and Bernard Mendy (hamstring), but Caleb Folan is set to miss out because of a hip problem.

Wednesday’s match is also vital to Aston Villa’s hopes of sealing European football for next season, with Martin O’Neill refusing to give up on fourth place.

Villa are currently seventh, six points behind Tottenham – who currently sit in the final Champions League place, who still have a derby with Birmingham, home clash with Euro-rivals Manchester City and away date with Blackburn still to come.

O’Neill is to set to name an unchanged side for the trip to the KC Stadium and they will look to build on an impressive defensive record.

Villa have kept six clean sheets in their last 10 away matches and have not conceded in their last four meetings with Hull, including a 1-0 victory at the KC Stadium last season.

The Midlands outfit are seeking a double over the Tigers, having won 3-0 at Villa Park in December, as they look to extend their impressive run which has seen just one defeat in 14 Premier League games.

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