Hull City vs Oxford United Predictions

• Hull have conceded one or fewer goals in 16 consecutive Championship matches
• Fewer than three goals have been scored in 18 of Oxford’s last 24 Championship contests
• Eight of the last 12 clashes of these clubs have failed to produce a third goal

Jakirovic seems a great fit for tigerish Hull

Hull City and Oxford United head into Sunday’s clash at the MKM Stadium searching for their first win of the campaign, and recent trends hint at a cagey encounter.

Sergej Jakirović’s men impressed defensively in a gritty 0-0 draw away at Coventry City last weekend, extending their run of solid showings at this level. The Tigers have not conceded more than once in any of their last 16 Championship matches dating back to February.

Hull made an interesting appointment in the summer when they hired Jakirovic, who helped Kayserispor avoid relegation from the Turkish Super Lig by solidifying their defence. He took over a side that had shipped 39 goals in 19 games (2.05 per game) and turned them into one of the meanest in the table (1.05 goals per game conceded).

Rowett’s side can’t be relied on 

Oxford will arrive in East Yorkshire still licking their wounds from a baffling blank in a 1-0 home defeat to Portsmouth. Gary Rowett’s side created enough to score at least once but, like last term, they struggled to find their shooting boots.

Only 37% of the U’s league games last term featured over 2.5 goals and that ratio is going down after 18 of their last 24 Championship contests failed to see a third goal scored. Backing under 2.5 goals at odds against still seems a solid play in the circumstances.

Under 2.5 goals landed in 65% of Hull’s home games and 61% of Oxford’s away fixtures last season. All signs point to another tight contest, and the best bet appears to be backing a low-scoring Hull win—likely by a single goal.