BLACKPOOL v HULL – Pick: 2 AH+0.25 – 01 January 2012

Blackpool's draws to let Hull in

Championship Tips

Football – England – Championship

Tuesday 1st January 2012 – Kickoff:  1500hrs

Mid-table Blackpool entertain second placed Hull City who have emerged as serious promotion candidates following their 2-0 home win over Leeds United at the weekend.

The hosts sit exactly halfway in the Championship and their inability to win matches, particularly at home, has cost them a chance to push for a play-off place at the moment. Not that The Seasiders have been losing at Bloomfield Road but their recent home record has been strewn with draws such as five draws in their last nine home matches with the likes of Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Bolton, Watford and Birmingham City.

However, defeats against Huddersfield Town, Charlton Athletic and most recently, Wolves, at the weekend suggest they are some way off achieving a top six finish and are seven points adrift of Watford in 6th place.

Blackpool’s home record stands at  4-5-3  24/17 and they do have some key attacking players such as Tom Ince (13 goals, 10 assists) but I wonder how long he’ll remain a Blackpool player given the increased interest from Liverpool to re-sign him? Taylor-Fletcher, Delfouneso and Dicko are also dangerous and will need to be watched closely.

Hull City currently sit in second place five points behind league leaders Cardiff City and they’ll be eyeing this fixture to get some points in the bag as Cardiff are also travelling away at Birmingham City which is not an easy place to go to to get points.

Hull are on a seven match unbeaten run at the moment on the back of impressive wins over Nottingham Forest, Watford and Derby County all away, and home wins over Huddersfield Town and Leeds United along with good results versus promotion candidates Crystal Palace and Leicester City recently, The Tigers have lost just once away from home in their last six matches which was at Cardiff City in mid-November.

Hull’s away record stands at  7-1-4  17/16 and although they tend to generally deal in either straight wins or losses (they’ve won their last four away from home on the trot), I think they are definitely worth backing with the quarter-ball handicap here.

Hull City also possess some dangerous attacking personnel in the shape of Sone Aluko, Koren, Simpson, Faye and Elmohamady and this contest could end in a draw with both sides cancelling each other out. If this is the case, and Blackpool have been involved in a lot of draws at home recently, then we make half our stake in profit with my selection. Hull might edge this one 2-1 though.

Pick:  Hull City AH+0.25 @ 1.81 Pinnacle looks the value choice here