Stoke City V Hull City Betting: Saturday, 3rd April

Stoke City V Hull City

Saturday, 3^rd April – 15:00 GMT

Stoke City

League Position: 11th

Recent Form: LDDLW

Stoke’s seasons just keeps on getting better and better and their hard fought win at West Ham last Saturday now puts them within another victory of rejoining the top ten. It may have been their first league win since the middle of last month but Stoke rarely do away wins and that vital set of three points should stand them in good stead as they gladly nosedive into their remaining fixtures. The objective now will be a stunning top ten finish and a home fixture with Hull City really does enable them to really push on for yet more points. 

Tony Pulis really has put himself right up there in terms of top notch managers as he converted little old Stoke into a side that never really look like going down these days. Their strong, robust, frustrating and they’ve now added some clinical finishing to their forte. They’re an awkward team to come up against especially at The Brittania where no team in their right mind looks forward to going. The proofs in the pudding as no-one outside the top ten have beaten Stoke at home this season, in fact, with the exception being Birmingham City, no-one outside the top five has overhauled Stoke at The Brittania, which puts it into perspective just how difficult Stoke will be to beat on Saturday against Hull City.

Stoke’s home form though has taken a dip as they’ve not won at The Brittania stadium since the beginning of February. It’s been a pretty lengthy four match run without a home win but they won’t have an easier opportunity to end their mini baron run than a home fixture with lowly Hull City. It must be said that Saturday’s opponents did get the better of Stoke in the reverse meeting at The KC Stadium when nudging Stoke out in a 2-1 win. It will be a different kettle of fish at The Brittania though as we quite fancy, heavily in fact, Stoke to avenge that loss this Saturday.

Stoke might need to improve their goal return at home though, as after all they are facing a point hungry Hull City. Not since they stuck three past Blackburn Rovers in early February have they scored more than once in a home fixture, while they’ve scored exactly one goal in three of their previous four home league encounters. Granted they’ve been against some stiff opposition, the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Man City, but it’s those sorts of runs which can have a dampener affect so Stoke will do well to score a few on Saturday just to remove any scoring jitters.

Hull City

League Position: 18th

Recent Form: LLLLW 

Hull looked a sinking ship just a matter of weeks ago, perhaps even more so after Iain Dowie’s appointment, but just two games into his tenure at the club and fans are already optimistic over their chances of avoiding the drop for the second season running. They were just minutes away from victory in Dowie’s first game in charge down at Portsmouth only to lose 3-2, while he and the Hull players made amends for that defeat with just their second win in 2010 after a 2-0 victory at home to Fulham.

The aim now will be to build on their recent success, a platform for the players if you like to go on a mesmerizing run of form which would save the club from the drop once again. They left it remarkably late last season, the last day of the season in fact before they reassured the fans that Premiership football would be played at The KC Stadium for at least another year, while they could leave it just as late this time around if they don’t start picking up more points in a regular fashion. That win over Fulham was so vital as it was their first set of league points since the beginning of last month, with that 2-0 victory ending a run of five successive league defeat. It will also do wonders for the morale of the Hull dressing room, one Iain Dowie believes is full of determined individuals. 

The Hull players will need to prove they have the fighting qualities required to dig themselves out of this relegation hole as while last weekend’s victory did end a miserable run of form, it wasn’t enough to lift the Tigers out of the bottom three and into safety. The are, however, level on points with West Ham with only Hull’s inferior goal difference letting them down. However, Dowie will know the obvious that should Hull better West Ham’s result this weekend, Hull would return to safe ground. We don’t think a side can have many bigger incentives than that so there will be no excuse for failure on Saturday.

However, failure is the only result we can comprehend as Hull have been woeful away from home this season and absolute tripe of late. Since the turn of the year, Hull have picked up just one measly point on their travels in six outings, while they’ve suffered five successive defeats and would stretch that run to six should they lose at The Brittania. Moreover, they’ve been conceding goals a plenty of late shipping eleven in their last three away fixtures. They have managed to score in their previous two trips but their away goal tally of 10 is dire and against a rigid and often sturdy Stoke defence, Hull could struggle once more to locate the oppositions goal.

Match Verdict: Stoke City to WIN – 1.80 WilliamHill

Safety from the drop is all but secured for Tony Pulis and his Potters so some punters maybe edgy about betting on Stoke from now until the end of the season. Not us though, especially against a hapless Hull. The Tigers may have won their last league encounter against Fulham but it was against a Fulham side with European football firmly on their minds and whom are terrible away travellers themselves, much like Hull. The team sporting bright Orange struggle for creativity and sharpness in their away games and could find themselves against the cosh against a strong and home orientated Stoke City. The Potters to make it back-to-back wins on Saturday and end Hull’s hopes of doing the very same.

Match Odds:

Stoke City – 1.80 WilliamHill

Draw – 3.60 Bet365

Hull City – 5.00 Coral

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Stoke City to WIN to NIL – 3.00 PaddyPower