Hull City v Sheffield United: Prediction, Tips and Odds

The pressure is on Hull City after they failed to win any of their opening five games of the season and they may fall short again against Sheffield United on Friday.

Injuries have hindered new Tigers boss Tim Walter's hopes of implementing his favoured tactical approach with his preferred players and after three straight draws, the Tigers went down 2-0 at Leeds United before the international break.

Friday's visitors, Sheffield United, rode their luck to defeat Watford 1-0 last time out, profiting from a Daniel Bachmann own goal following good work by Callum O'Hare, and the Blades are unbeaten away from home this season, beating Preston North End 2-0 and drawing 1-1 at Norwich City.

Chris Wilder's side have been solid rather than sensational and another grinding victory could be on the cards at the MKM Stadium.

Hull City v Sheffield United betting tips and predictions

Sheffield United to win - 11/10

Sheffield United struggled last season in the Premier League and their squad profile suggests they are better suited to the upper echelons of the Championship rather than the lower reaches of the top flight.

Their opening win at Preston was followed by draws against Queens Park Rangers and Norwich before they beat Watford ahead of the international break.

Wilder's style is to go out fast and he will expect his team to be able to do something similar against Hull, who have scored only twice in four games.

Sacking Liam Rosenior divided the Tigers' fanbase but the board are likely to give his replacement Walter time. However, there are worrying signs that he may struggle to improve on his predecessor's work.

Hull may have finished seventh last season but scored fewer goals than any other team who finished in the top nine, despite averaging the joint-fourth most possession.

Sheffield United are far more direct and could outmuscle their hosts, meaning punters may even push to the 4/1 for an away win and under 2.5 goals.

Time of first goal - 1-10 minutes - 7/2

A feature of Sheffield United's games this season have been fast starts, scoring their first goal after 12 minutes at Preston, six at home to Queens Park Rangers, 31 at Norwich and two most recently against Watford.

Scoring so early has potentially been counterproductive, with Wilder's team having looked nervous at times when defending a lead, but starting games well feels like something they have worked on and another quickfire goal could follow on Friday.

Hull's fixtures have tended to be slow-burners, with no goals scored in the first half of their league games in 2024/25.

However, they conceded twice in the first 10 minutes of their EFL Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday and United's direct style could cause them early issues.

Backing them to net first at 4/6 may provide some consolation if that early strike doesn't land.

Gustavo Hamer over 3.5 shots - 9/4

Gustavo Hamer was one of the few Sheffield United players to emerge from their Premier League relegation with credit and he has made a decent start to life back in the Championship.

The 27-year-old has predominantly featured on the left of a midfield four and while it might not be an entirely natural fit, it does play to one of his best characteristics.

Hamer likes to shoot, doing so 49 times in the Premier League and he has improved his rate in the second tier, averaging 3.8 efforts per game in 2024/25.

He is often at the forefront of the Blades' attacking play and is worth backing to try his luck on several occasions at the MKM Stadium.

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Hull City v Sheffield United odds

Hull City - 12/5
Draw - 12/5
Sheffield United - 11/10

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.