Tonight sees the start of the English Championship where Hull City will face relegated Blackpool. Last season Blackpool started well in the Premiership and for a long time it looked like they might stay up. However a dreadful away record finally took its toll and they were relegated after 1 season back to the Championship. Hull City find themselves in the Championship for a second season after they flirted with the Premiership, so both these clubs have parachute payments from the Premier League however only Hull have been spending it.
Blackpool have not spent much money and have lost the likes of DJ Campbell and Charlie Adam, these losses are key to Blackpool and will probably result in Blackpool finishing mid table this term.
Reports are rife about Blackpool players not being motivated, this can only be a bad thing for the club and I expect this to be clearly seen tonight. Holloway will want a good performance but I cannot see it happening.
Hull have a great record over Blackpool at home and I can only see 1 result, that being a home win for Hull City. Hull can be backed at 6/5 with Bluesq and Bet365.
So I'm going 10pts on the home win.
Hi IMJ
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to another season and I have been reading your blog with interest over the summer months. It’s fair to say that you seem to be getting the hang of this betting lark, plundering a few quid from the Blue sq coffers with your Stoke prediction earlier this week.
Although you thought a Hull home win was the likely result tonight, I have to confess that I was going for the draw, so I wouldn’t have had much luck either.
With so many player comings and goings in the build-up to the season, I always think that the first few weeks are difficult to predict. Indeed, you get some unusual opening day results and I don’t think tomorrow will be any different. Teams that have recruited well throughout the summer and look good on paper can often take a while to click and get into stride, for example.
Reviewing the Blue sq coupon seems to suggest that they are therefore not taking too many risks. Indeed, I don’t think there is too much value around at the moment, as the odds for my first bets of the season below suggest. Nevertheless, my home win predictions are mainly based on four teams who have consolidated their squads without any major overhauls. I hope that they will all consequently hit the ground running:
Brighton v Doncaster (home win 5/6) – new striking options for Brighton in Craig Mackail-Smith and Will Hoskins should prove the difference.
Huddersfield v Bury (home win 4/6) – the home side need to hit the ground running if they are to get over last season’s failed promotion hangover.
Preston v Colchester (home win 3/4) – Preston have been scoring goals in pre-season and seem ready to bounce back at the first attempt.
Southend v Hereford (home win 5/6) – wily Scot Paul Sturrock moulded his team last year and with a couple of additions over recent months, should get off to a comfortable start.
A £1 Yankee will pay a welcome £50.79 to get the season off and running.......