Hull City vs Newcastle Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

After a rather lacklustre first season back in the Championship, Hull will be hoping to make a better fist of attempting to return to England’s top flight this campaign. Manager Nigel Adkins, who has previously taken a club from the Championship to the Premier League when winning promotion with Southampton back in 2012, has added a few players over the summer, players whom he’ll be hoping can spark an improved performance from the Tigers this season.

Having stayed in the Premier League last season, Newcastle will be hoping to kick on and perhaps even challenge for a Europa League spot this time around. Despite murmurings of disappointment at a lack of ambition in the transfer market, manager Rafa Benitez has remained at St James’s Park, and will be looking to do the best he can with what is at is disposal.

Hull have brought in a few new faces, including Reece Burke from West Ham and David Milinkovic from Genoa, and they will indeed be hoping that Adkins can steer them towards a push for promotion this season, though it’s fair to say that their efforts in pre-season so far haven’t exactly been great. The Tigers managed to beat Portuguese side Maritimo in their first friendly, winning by two goals to one, though they’ve since lost to both Braga and, more disappointingly, Rochdale.

Each of their three friendlies has highlighted that defensive weakness is still a problem for Hull City, who conceded the fifth highest number of goals in the Championship last season, shipping an average of 1.52 per match. They have players capable of doing damage offensively, but whether they can keep teams out or not is likely to decide whether they can mount a challenge for the top six.

Unlike Hull, Newcastle have played just one friendly this season. On that occasion, they beat St Patricks of Ireland by two goals to nil. Offensively, Benitez men offered plenty in that match, though even against inferior opposition they looked off the pace at the back and nearly came up short. In fact, but for a lack of end-product from the Irish side, the Magpies would’ve failed to keep a clean sheet.

Based on the evidence presented by both teams during pre-season so far, it’s probably fair to say that neither are up to speed defensively yet; the hosts have struggled to keep clean sheets regardless of their opponents, while the visitors looked very open and susceptible to break in their first friendly. Keeping this in mind, ‘Over 2.5 Goals’ is the bet that stands out.