Hull City v Middlesbrough: Sky Bet Championship betting preview, free tip & TV

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Hull City v Middlesbrough in the Sky Bet Championship on Thursday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Football, 5pm Thursday

Best bet

Middlesbrough
1pt 23-20 general

Team news

Hull
Grant McCann is hopeful Mallik Wilks will be available despite his loan deal from Barnsley expiring, otherwise Tom Eaves is likely to replace him.

Middlesbrough
Defender Hayden Coulson missed the Stoke win through injury but is expected to be back in contention, giving Neil Warnock a fully-fit squad to choose from.

Match preview

Neil Warnock weaved his magic by guiding Middlesbrough to victory over Stoke in his first Sky Bet Championship game in charge and he can repeat the trick by claiming another precious three points at relegation rivals Hull.

Warnock, who had been out of work since leaving Cardiff in November last year, was brought in to replace Jonathan Woodgate and his arrival had an immediate impact as goals from Ashley Fletcher and Marcus Tavernier helped punish the Potters.

Given Warnock had just three days to work with his players, there’s every reason to expect them to come on for the outing and there’s no better place to try their new tactics than a trip to a confidence-starved Hull.

Boro tried to play attractive, possession-based football under Woodgate without necessarily having the resources to adopt to that slick style. Warnock has reverted back to basics and should be better at maximising this squad’s potential.

A front two of Fletcher and Britt Assombalonga should be much more effective than playing with a lone striker and with belief restored they can account for the toiling Tigers, who saw their winless run extended to 13 with a 3-3 draw at Birmingham on Saturday.

Hull, two points worse off than Boro in the Championship, are out of the relegation places only on goal difference and this is a game they can't afford to lose in what is a competitive scrap for survival.

However, Grant McCann’s men have never been able to recover from the January’s departures of influential attackers Kamil Grosicki and Jarrod Bowen - they have not tasted league victory since New Year’s Day at Sheffield Wednesday - and a limited squad should be put to the sword by Boro.

Key stat

Hull have picked up only one point from their last eight home league games.

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