Hull City v Arsenal: Betfair Betting Preview

Hull City v Arsenal

Title chasing Arsenal face a trip to Hull City on Saturday and Betfair’s Dan ‘The Betting Man’ Fitch thinks that even without Cesc Fabregas, they will have too much for Phil Brown’s Tigers.

Arsenal may have been beaten at home and away by both Chelsea and Manchester United, but it will be the final league table that determines who will be the top team in England.

While their title rivals have consistently dropped points against the Premier League strugglers, Arsenal have been able to make up lost ground with their relentless flat-track bullying.

With their toughest remaining fixture being an away trip to Spurs, Arsenal have dropped to 3.95 in the betting to win the league.

The Gunners may be favourites to win the majority of their games on paper, but in reality it is sometimes difficult to emerge victorious against struggling sides at this time of year.

This weekend they travel to the KC Stadium to face relegation threatened Hull. After reports that Nicky Barmby and Jimmy Bullard came to blows in training this week, following recriminations over their 5-1 loss to Everton, it’s clear that Hull still have plenty of fighting spirit.

A fight in training might not seem the perfect way to prepare for such an important game, but it at least demonstrates that the players care.

It is alleged that the trouble started after Barmby accused Bullard of being lazy. Of all the adjectives you could use to describe the Cockney midfielder, ‘lazy’ wouldn’t be one that normally springs to mind. Hull have badly missed Bullard’s energy and drive from midfield and you suspect that he’s the best hope they’ve got of retaining their place in the Premier League.

Arsenal might be missing their own key midfielder, as Cesc Fabregas looks unlikely to be fit, having sat out their midweek game against Porto. Tomas Rosicky and Bacary Sagna are also doubtful, while Alex Song is suspended and William Gallas, is definitely out.

Hull will be without Anthony Gardner and Ian Ashbee, while they will give a late fitness test to Stephen Hunt. Craig Fagan is available again having served a suspension.

When the goalscorer markets open on Betfair closer to kick off, expect Nicklas Bendtner to lead the betting at around 5.5 to score first and 2.2 to net at any time, with Andrey Arshavin at 6.0 and 2.4. For Hull, Amr Zaki will be priced at around 11.0 and 4.5.

Since Hull’s promotion to the Premier League, the sides have met on 4 occasions (once in the FA Cup) and all of these games have produced over 2.5 goals, with Arsenal winning 3 and Hull once. Over 2.5 goals can be backed at 1.71, with unders at 2.32.

Hull are 9.2 to gain a much needed win, with the draw at 5.0 and Arsenal at 1.43. With Arsene Wenger’s side having won their last four league games and coming into this match on the back of a 5-0 win over Porto, I can’t see past another victory for the Gunners.

Arsenal can be backed at 2.2 to be winning at half time/full time, with the draw/Arsenal available at 4.7. A 2-1 Arsenal win is 9.6, with 2-0 the favourite in the correct score market at 7.4 and 3-1 at 13.0.

Though I expect Arsenal to win, they don’t have the tightest of defences and I wouldn’t be surprised if Hull score. The Betfair punters obviously agree with me as in the Arsenal clean sheet market, they are 2.26 to record a shut out and 1.73 to concede.

In the both teams to score market, you can get odds of 1.84 for Hull and Arsenal to find the net, with the price likely to increase when there is more liquidity in the market.

Recommended Bets:

• Back over 2.5 goals @ 1.71;
• Back both teams to score @ 1.84;
• Back Arsenal to be winning half time/full time @ 2.2.

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