Kick-off: 1730, 08/01/2022
Stadium: MKM Stadium
TV: BBC Sport
Rafael Benitez is under pressure to quickly improve Everton’s fortunes and that should ensure they treat their FA Cup third-round tie at Hull seriously.
The Toffees are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table with just one win since late September so confidence must be low.
Facing Championship opposition looks a good opportunity to get back to winning ways and an away victory in normal time at 1.85 is our opening Hull vs Everton prediction.
Hull City Odds
Hull are battling for survival in the Championship following promotion from the third tier and staying up must be the priority.
A run of four straight wins in November eased their worries but they have failed to win any of their four subsequent matches.
They had two matches postponed between Christmas and New Year, either side of back-to-back defeats at Nottingham Forest and Blackpool.
After the 1-0 loss at Blackpool, boss Grant McCann said: “We were not at our best and didn’t get going. It was one of those scrappy games.”
Only two teams in the Championship have picked up fewer points at home than the Tigers so this is hardly a fortress and they have only scored 20 goals in 24 matches.
Looking at the Hull vs Everton odds, an away win to nil looks worth the extra risk at 3.25.
Everton Odds
Benitez is pinning his hopes on a fit Dominic Calvert-Lewin and new January signings turning things around at Everton.
The England international made his long-awaited comeback after more than four months out with a thigh injury in the 3-2 defeat at home to Brighton, prior to which new £17million left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko was introduced to fans.
Everton are also closing in on the £10million signing of Rangers right-back Nathan Patterson as Benitez looks to revamp a defence which has conceded the first goal in 14 of 18 Premier League matches this season.
The match against Brighton was only the eighth time Benitez’s side had scored more than once in the league: five of those occasions came in their opening six matches and Calvert-Lewin scored in the first three before his injury.
Such was their dire position against the Seagulls the striker played 90 minutes, which was not part of the pre-match plan, but this looks a good opportunity to further improve his fitness.
“Hopefully Dominic coming back will give a little bit more hope to everyone,” said Benitez, who is also missing Richarlison from an injury-hit side which has lost eight of the last 12.
“And if we are bringing players back, and signing new players, it will bring this desire that everyone is expecting.”
Starting with Calvert-Lewin and then replacing him when the game is almost won looks a sensible ploy, so for the last of our Hull vs Everton betting tips, we’ll take 3.30 for Everton to score more goals in the first half than in the second.
Additional stats
Last result:
Blackpool 1-0 HULL
EVERTON 2-3 Brighton – Anthony Gordon (2)
Head-to-head: Everton 4-0 Hull, Hull 2-2 Everton, Hull 2-0 Everton, Everton 1-1 Hull
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