Hull defeated Millwall over two legs to reach the Championship play-off final
Middlesbrough have been reinstated in place of Southampton, who have been expelled for spying
Recommended bet: Middlesbrough to win
Just one match remains in the Championship season as Hull and Middlesbrough prepare to battle it out in the play-off final at Wembley on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers finished the regular campaign in sixth place, winning 21 of their 46 games, before disposing of Millwall 2-0 on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals.
Middlesbrough were defeated by Southampton in their semi-final, but Boro have been handed a reprieve after the Saints were expelled after being found guilty of spying on their opponents.
The latest Hull vs Middlesbrough odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic will be without the services of Cody Drameh and David Akintola due to muscle and thigh injuries respectively.
Nathan Tinsdale and Eliot Maazo will also be missing.
Kim Hellberg will definitely be missing striker Tommy Conway, who has also been ruled out of the World Cup.
Alex Bangura could make the bench if all goes to plan, while Hayden Hackney could also return to the starting XI.
The stats
Hull could become the first team since Blackpool in 2010-11 to win the play-off final having finished sixth in the Championship table.
Boro last reached the play-off final in 2015, losing 2-0 to Norwich.
Hellberg’s men have won just four of their last 14 matches.
Hull have won two of their previous three matches following a run of six games without a victory.
Boro scored 72 goals in the regular season, with Hull netting 70.
The Tigers conceded 66 goals compared to 47 for Boro.
Middlesbrough have won three of the last four meetings against Hull.
The latest Hull vs Middlesbrough odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Boro have experienced a whole host of emotions prior to this play-off final, as their hopes were initially extinguished by Southampton in the semi-finals.
However, the Saints were caught spying prior to those meetings and were subsequently expelled from the final.
With Boro reinstated, they will be hoping to make the most of this glorious second chance to secure a return to the Promised Land.
Hull will be no easy pushovers, though, and the Tigers showed they have plenty of grit and determination when dispatching Millwall to reach this stage.
Boro did lose December’s meeting between these two at the Riverside, but they had won the three meetings prior to that loss and they have generally had the edge over the Tigers.
Hellberg’s side will be desperate not to let this final reprieve go to waste and they may just have enough experience and quality in their squad to pick up the win.
Back Middlesbrough to win at 3/4 with LiveScore Bet
The latest Hull vs Middlesbrough odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Score prediction – Hull 1-2 Middlesbrough
