HullShaker’s Tips – Super, smashing, great for Bowen’s Tigers

I'M STICKING close to home and looking for a goalscoring bullseye at The KCOM Stadium this evening as this War of The Roses clash sees trawlers and textiles come head to head…

HULL CITY VS. BLACKBURN (7.45pm):

I've been quietly impressed by City's start to the campaign and the fans I've spoken to also share a sense of optimism about the season ahead. Grant McCann has his Tigers purring and, whilst the results have been good but not perfect, the team performances have been excellent.

One win (Reading), one draw (Brentford) and one loss (Swansea) see the hosts a point better off than Rovers who have lost two and won one but if there is one factor that could make the difference, it is The Tigers outstanding record at Fortress KCOM.

Kingston Communications may provide Northern Europe's crappest internet service but City's record at their ‘KC' stadium has proved more lightspeed than dial-up; since Christmas they have won 71% of their 14 games with only Sheff Utd (who gained promotion) managing to walk away with 3 points!

Goals have always been hard to come by for City but those 14 home games have produced a stonking 32 goals with many coming early on – more recently, their average current goal time is around '20 and striker Jarrod Bowen – who has netted in the previous two league matches – may just influence the scoreline again tonight.

It's less a case of ‘look what you could have won' and more a case of look what you did win for Bowen; Hull City's top scorer with 22 in all competitions last year, JB is one to watch for the future and scooped both the Fans Player of the Year Award and The Players Player of the year Award last season as well as one nomination for and one actual Championship Player of the Month Award…not bad going for the 22 year old!

The one cloud on the East Yorkshire horizon is the fact that Rovers were one of only two sides to do the double over City last season but that ought not to be a key factor as they have now won only 20% of their last 26 away games – add in the fact that the Lancastrians have hit just a penalty and an own goal so far this season and there's plenty of appeal for The Tigers in their own lair.

Recommended bets

• HULL CITY OVER 1.5 TEAM GOALS
  (5/4, skybet) NAP

• BOWEN TO SCORE ANYTIME
  (9/5, betway) NB

• BOWEN TO SCORE A HAT-TRICK
  (66/1, skybet) LONGSHOT

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