Villa win is home banker against wounded Hull

Aston Villa have never lost any of their six Premier League encounters with Hull City, winning all three home games by an aggregate scoreline of 7-1. That is why Paul Lambert’s team are 13/10 favourites for three points with Coral.

These two sides are next to each other in the table, however, level on four points. Odds of 11/5 say this will be a draw, and the Tigers are 12/5 outsiders for victory. Steve Bruce and his charges will be bitterly disappointed to have crashed out of the Europa League in midweek, but there’s no time to lick their wounds.

Changes should be rang by the Hull boss, including a debut for Michael Dawson following his switch from Spurs. James Chester is banned, so his spot it set to go the brother of club stalwart Andy, who spent a decade on Humberside between 2003 and 2013.

It’s 21/10 the visitors keep a clean sheet, though Villa have shut them out in five of the six Premier League meetings. The hosts are shorter at 13/10 in this market, but based on that stat plus successive clean sheets from Lambert’s lads, Villa are the safer bet.

Tom Huddlestone and Nikica Jelavic should both return to the Tigers XI, with the latter 7/4 to score anytime and 6/1 to net the opener as he did in the draw with Stoke City. Robbie Brady bagged a brace against Lokeren last time out, though his double was in vain. It’s 5/1 the Irish left-sided player gets a goal anytime, and 33/1 for a repeat performance of two goals or more.

Austria attacker Andreas Weimann was the difference between Villa and Hull in their last encounter back in May when he bagged a brace. He is 7/4 to score again anytime, and 5/1 for two or more.

Villa assistant boss Roy Keane is hoping to use his Manchester United connections to land midfielder Tom Cleverley, but punters should consider Ashly Westwood or Fabian Delph for goals here. The former netted in the last meeting with the Tigers, and is 7/1 to do so again.

Delph, meanwhile, could celebrate his first senior England call-up with a goal anytime at the same price. A 2-0 Villa win looks tasty at 17/2.