Hull City vs Barnsley Predictions

• Fewer than three goals have been scored in each of Hull City’s last five Championship home games.
• Fewer than three goals have been scored in four of the last five Barnsley league matches.
• Nine of the last ten Hull City league games have featured fewer than three goals.
• The MKM Stadium pitch is in a poor state after rugby league was played on it last Saturday.

Pitch battle expected at MKM Stadium

The Hull public have been warned not to expect much pretty football in Tuesday’s game between the Tigers and the Tykes. The MKM Stadium pitch was cut up badly when a Super League rugby game was played on it last Saturday and the ground staff’s repair job has not been helped by the stormy conditions over the weekend.

This meeting between two of the lowest scoring teams in the division looks like a solid under 2.5 goals play in the making. Fewer than three goals have been scored in each of Hull City’s last five home games and, of all the 24 Championship clubs, the Tigers have the smallest percentage of their matches to have gone over 2.5 goals – just 24%.

Even rock-bottom Barnsley have had more games go over 2.5 – 39% – which is still below the division average 46%. Fewer than three goals have been scored in four of the last five Barnsley league matches, a sequence in which the Tykes have scored just twice.

Keeper issues cloud Tigers’ clean sheet prospect

Hull have some issues in goal with Matt Ingram injured in their 1-1 draw with QPR on Saturday and former first choice Nathan Baxter only rated 50-50 to make it back for this game. Teenage debutant Harvey Cartwright acquitted himself well for the final 23 minutes at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, but his lack of experience is off-putting when it comes to sizing up the Tigers’ prospects of a clean sheet.

With both teams to score – no and under 2.5 goals similarly priced, we are minded to stick with the latter option because Hull are struggling to score themselves at the moment. City have registered just twice in five games since Shota Arveladze took over and the style of football he’s trying to introduce won’t be aided by boggy pitch conditions this week.

Barnsley have improved defensively of late, shipping only five goals in their last five games so we feel a 1-1 correct score play is worth a shot here.