Birmingham City V Hull City Betting: Saturday, 17th April

Birmingham City V Hull City

Saturday, 17^th April – 15:00 (GMT)

Birmingham City

League Position: 9th

Recent Form: LLDDL

Birmingham aren’t used to heavy defeats in what has been a consistently pleasing campaign. Disappointing results have only come in rare spurts but they got one on Sunday as their side were thumped 5-1 by a classy Manchester City. Perhaps the score was a tad flattering but that doesn’t change the final score. It was a heavy defeat for Alex McLeish and his players, their heaviest of the season thus far, and McLeish will be wanting a positive response from his players in their very next outing, which just so happens to be against a Hull side fighting for their lives down near the foot of the table.

Birmingham were outclassed on Sunday by a team far superior to them in just about every department. They were the underdogs that day despite their impressive campaign, but on Saturday it’s them who will be expected to win, and to win well. Birmingham, who are 9^th in the table, take on Hull City who are 19^th and gasping for clean air. On paper it should be a run-of-the-mill win for the home side, Birmingham, but the Blues, after their biggest defeat of the season last Sunday, have now gone six games without a win in the league and haven’t won at St Andrews for over a month. To say Birmingham are going through a sticky patch of form would be an understatement, while their 5-1 defeat in Manchester at the weekend won’t have helped to lift the spirits of the Birmingham camp.

The one thing this fixture with Hull does do is give the team a fabulous opportunity to get back on the winning trail and perhaps win rather cosily if truth be told. While the club has struggled for wins of late, their recent fixtures have been tough on paper. The likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City and Everton have all tried their luck against McLeish’s Blues, while it’s certainly worth pointing out that only Man City were successful in their bids to defeat Birmingham City. Moreover, while Birmingham have fallen to three consecutive defeats on the road, they are still unbeaten at St Andrews for nearly seven months – OUSTANDING – A run of 13 league games without losing on home soil. Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United & Chelsea have all failed in their bids to overhaul Birmingham in front of their own fans, so surely it doesn’t bode well for their visitors on Saturday.

Alex McLeish and Birmingham really have to win on Saturday, although, unlike previous Premiership campaigns, it’s not because Birmingham are scraping points in a bid to avoid relegation. Birmingham were assured of their Premiership status a long time ago, which is a credit to the players and the managerial staff in itself, but McLeish will want his team to finish the campaign trail strongly and will be desperate to banish the clubs longest win drought of the season. You would have to fancy their chances against a hapless Tigers, but Birmingham have proven to be a team which thrives of confidence building runs and it does remain to be seen as to whether they can etch out a victory with very little in terms of form behind them. While it may not be the toughest challenge Birmingham will face this season, this game will be a test of character.

Hull City

League Position: 19th

Recent Form: LLWLL

After a hard fought win at home to Fulham a fortnight ago, Iain Dowie’s Tigers appeared a team on the up, fit and raring to go in this relegation challenge. However, that clearly wasn’t the case as Hull lost their roar over the weekend to Burnley. In a fixture Hull simply had to win purely because it was their easiest game left to play, not only did the Tigers come up short but they were spanked by a team which no-one in the country, us included, could see winning another Premiership game this season. If that wasn’t a harsh lesson in never to back Hull ever again then we don’t know what is.

After failing to seize a golden opportunity with both hands last Saturday, miserably, Hull now need a result in their very next outing. They must go on their travels though to get the result they crave, a winning one, but they will have to do something that not one of England’s so called ‘Big Four’ could achieve this season and that’s win at St Andrews. Considering Birmingham just don’t do losing at home, and that Hull just don’t do winning away from home, surely Hull are doomed as they head over to Birmingham?

To be perfectly honest and straight to the point, Hull won’t be winning on Saturday. It just doesn’t appear theoretically possible. What lyes in waiting is a Birmingham side who’ve not lost at St. Andrews since the middle of September last year, while Iain Dowie will take a Hull City side to St. Andrews which hasn’t one a single away fixture all season. In fact, in 17 away outings thus far, Hull have avoided defeat on just four occasions. They’ve been a mess on the road, a disaster to follow, so it really would be a shock should they end their baron away run at such a difficult venue this Saturday.

Just to compound the misery of the Hull fans, we thought it would be an appropriate time to mention Hull have lost their last six away games on the spin. Moreover, their tally of just 10 goals scored on the road is right up there with the very worst in the league. Hull have been ordinary at home but woeful on the road. After their humiliating 4-1 loss to Burnley at the weekend, Iain Dowie must somehow lift his troops and pull a genuine rabbit out of the hat in order to prosper at St. Andrews.

Match Prediction: Draw – 3.50 Boylesports

Hull have to win a large portion of their remaining fixtures to stay up and a trip to Birmingham, while it may look hard on paper, may not be all that bad and does actually present them with a decent opportunity to get the ball rolling. Birmingham have been so resilient at home though that no-one has beaten them at St Andrews since September of last year. However, despite holding both Arsenal & Liverpool to draws their recently, Birmingham haven’t looked entirely convincing, while they’ve been non-existent from an attacking point of view. By the same token, Hull were dreadful at the weekend as they fell to an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at home to Burnley. But the Tigers are now in a do or die situation and we fancy Iain Dowie to put out an attack minded side on Saturday in a bid to register what will be considered a massive win. We did consider taking a chance on them at the odds, while Birmingham were too short for our liking even if it is understandable as to why. We’re playing a tad safer and being more realistic with a draw.

Match Odds

Birmingham City – 1.83 SkyBet

Draw – 3.50 Boylesports

Hull City – 5.00 VCbet

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Hull City to Score 2 or More Goals – 3.75 PaddyPower