Tottenham vs Hull

Tottenham Hotspur V Hull City

Saturday, 16^th January – 15:00 GMT

Tottenham Hotspur

League Position: 4th

Recent Form: LWWDW

In a fixture Tottenham surprisingly lost last season, surely revenge will be on the minds of the Spurs players ahead of their second White Hart Lane clash with Hull City in two successive seasons as they aim to set right their wrongdoings in last years meeting (losing 1-0). Also, bolstering their top four stance will be high on their list of priority’s for the new year and three points at home to Hull City shouldn’t be too hard to come by. Still, Tottenham have come a cropper twice this season in games they were fully expected to win so perhaps Tottenham aren’t the supposed ‘banker’ many punters will want to believe they are.

After a poor start to a December month of what was officially last year, but in actual fact just a little over a month ago, Tottenham have since gone on a confidence boosting run of five games unbeaten in all competitions, with the cherry on the cake being their emphatic 4-0 victory in the FA Cup over Peterborough United. That was the last time we seen Tottenham in action due to the adverse weather conditions all around the country causing havoc with last weekends fixture list. However, the Spurs players should be good for that rest but it does take away that old “my players were tired after too many festive games” excuse card, so the pressure is on them once again to comply in a should win fixture.

There have been three fixtures, home ones, thus far that before kick-off most punters would have put Tottenham Hotspur down as a certain winner. The first was against a poor travelling Burnley of which Tottenham smashed them off the park in a 5-0 rout – Ideal! However, that was as good as got for us punters and where the real money started pouring in for the rarely beatable bookies… as Spurs faltered at home against both Stoke City (0-1) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (0-1), both being narrow 1-0 defeats but both were outings were Spurs missed so many chances it was unreal. Tottenham’s attack being blunt isn’t an everyday occurrence but it has happened two too many times this season, which is a concern, but surely that won’t happen against arguably the league worst defence.

Tottenham’s last fixture was cancelled, a daunting trip to Anfield, but their last action packed outing was at White Hart Lane in the FA Cup where they cruised through to the next round after a sublime 4-0 victory. Kranjcar bagged a brace while Defoe & Keane completed the scoring in a morale boosting win, although the spirit in the Spurs camp should be fairly high regardless after an unbeaten run of four games unbeaten in the league. Harry Redknapp has watched on as his troops have battled hard to create a solid platform ahead of what could be a defining first half of the year for the club. A four match run without defeat is first class but what’s more impressive, especially from a club like Tottenham who usually have a lot of defensive issues, is that Spurs haven’t conceded a league goal in a little over 360 minutes, while that fortress defence hasn’t conceded in over 450 minutes if you include their 4-0 success in the Cup just after the new year, so things are looking up in all areas of the pitch for Tottenham as they continue their assault on the top four.

Hull City

League Position: 19th

Recent Form: LDLLD

Phil Brown doesn’t have any fresh injury concerns ahead of this frightening trip to White Hart Lane but what he does have to contend with is a Hull camp seriously suffering in a lack of confidence at the present time after a winless run of six games, seven if you include their 4-1 demise in the FA Cup at Wigan Athletic, so the Englishman does have a lot on his hands than you think. Brown has often been criticised for his lack of motivation, or at least his methods have been met with a few raised eyebrows, so their will be big doubts over Hull’s credentials to cause a shock this Saturday.

Last season at White Hart Lane, Hull produced one of the shocks of the season as Geovanni scored yet another wonder goal against a London outfit as Hull stoke all three points away from what was a hapless Spurs at the time. Now, though, the shoe is on the other foot as it is Hull who are faltering of late and desperate for not only wins, points even, but performances that would boost the spirit of the camp as they are clearly suffering a lull in morale of some sort. The fact that their last win in the league came back in the middle of November, nearly two months ago, clearly highlights my observation.

To make a bet on Hull sound even more hopeless than I hope I already have (trust me… this is for your own good) then I will quickly rant about their dire away form this season. Wins for the Tigers have been at a premium, just four in fact, but all of them have come at the home of a toothless Tigers at the KC stadium. They’ve yet to win a single away fixture this season and have just three points to their name after ten away outings (0-3-7). In fact, the last time they won whilst on their travels was back in March last year, a 1-0 win at Fulham, but even that win was a rare delicacy as Hull have won just two of their last 23 away league games – losing 15, drawing eight and, of course, the two wins.

Back to this season now and Hull’s drastic away profile is made to look more drab by the colossal amount of goals they’ve shipped away from home – 26 in total – up their with the very best in terms of one of the worst away defensive records. To make matters a whole lot worse for you loyal yet surely delusional Hull fans, their side have only managed seven away goals all season, averaging under a goal a game. Stpehen Hunt is leading the way for Hull in the goalscoring department with five goals, a MIDFIELDER, while follwed closely behind is egocentric Geovanni with three goals, also a MIDFIELDER, which just goes to show how poor Hull’s forwards have been playing this season.

The latter statistic about Hull’s poor scoring antics takes me onto my next point in that I will highlight a possible betting selection, something I rarely do in a preview and probably something I will later come to regret. We’ve already shown up Hull’s offence, which wasn’t hard, so combine all the information I’ve provided above with the knowledge that Hull have failed to score in four of ten away fixtures this season, plus are without a goal in their last two away outings and perhaps a punt on Spurs, a team who haven’t conceded in what appears an eternity for them, keeping a clean sheet maybe a worthwhile punt at odds of 1.78 with Expekt.com (Away team not to score).

Head-to-Head (Last 2):

Tottenham Hotspur W: 2 Hull City W: 1 Draws: 0

• Hull City won the very first encounter between the two, winning 1-0 at White Hart Lane

• Tottenham have won the previous two matches against Hull City, both coming on Hull soil.

• Tottenham smashed Hull 5-1 at The KC earlier in the season in a game where Jermain Defoe scored a hat-trick.

• In three meetings, Hull have scored in each, although on all three occasions they have managed just one goal.

   

Match Verdict: Tottenham Hotspur to WIN – 1.29 Boylesports

Tottenham have been on the wrong end of a few shocks results this season, and although they were involved in a right shocker in this very same fixture last season losing 1-0 at home to Hull, we don’t think Harry Redknapp will allow his players to fall to a similar slumber. Tottenham have looked a classy attacking outfit in recent outings and they should be far too strong, once again, for Hull and a similar scoreline to the 5-1 at The KC earlier in the season wouldn’t be out of question.

Match Odds:

Tottenham Hotspur – 1.29 Boylesports

Draw – 6.00 Bet365

Manchester City – Hull City 13.00 Expekt.com

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Tottenham/Tottenham (HT/FT Betting) – 1.80 Boylesports