Ipswich are fourth in the Championship, 11 points behind leaders Coventry
Fifth-placed Hull are level with Town on 60 points but have vastly inferior goal difference
Recommended bet: Ipswich to win to nil
Two promotion hopefuls go head-to-head in the Championship’s sole midweek clash, with fourth-placed Ipswich taking on Hull, the side directly below them, in a crucial fixture at Portman Road.
Both teams have pulled themselves back into the top-two picture after tricky runs, each winning their last two matches, suggesting a Suffolk spectacle may unfold on Tuesday.
Hull have exceeded expectations to put themselves in their current position but Ipswich are an extremely talented side and are likely to have the edge in this top-five tussle.
Team news
Ipswich have no fresh injury concerns but Ashley Young, Conor Townsend and Jaden Philogene remain sidelined.
Kieran McKenna has decisions to make further forwards, though, as Ivan Azon and his replacement George Hirst each scored at the weekend, while Jack Clarke and Sindre Walle Egeli will be hoping for recalls in midfield.
Semi Ajayi, Ryan Giles, Darko Gyabi, Toby Collyer, Mohamed Belloumi and Yu Hirakawa are out for the Tigers, who may bring Matt Crooks into the starting X! after his matchwinning goal at Portsmouth.
The stats
Ipswich have won their last two games to nil.
Hull have lost three of their last five matches in all competitions.
The Tractor Boys are on a 12-match unbeaten run at Portman Road.
The Tigers are without a win in four head-to-heads, losing three.
Hull striker Oli McBurnie’s 13 goals puts him third in the Championship scoring charts.
No Championship player is averaging more shots per 90 minutes than Ipswich’s Ivan Azon (4.00).
The latest Ipswich vs Hull odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Hull have defied the odds plenty of times this season, especially on the road, with their record of 30 points the best tally in the division.
However, while Sergej Jakirovic’s side are firmly in the promotion hunt, they lack the all-round quality of Ipswich, who can prove that they are ready for a Premier League return by securing an important and convincing win on Tuesday.
Town dominated the reverse fixture, winning 2-0 at the MKM, and their recent Portman Road outings suggest it should be more of the same, with McKenna’s men going 12 games unbeaten on their own patch.
That impressive home run includes nine wins and an excellent defence can help them to a third straight shutout success.
Hull created very little in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Fratton Park, managing just 0.34 expected goals and only breaking the deadlock thanks to a Portsmouth defensive error, and it is hard to see them causing the star-studded Tractor Boys too many issues.
Back Ipswich to win to nil at 29/20 with LiveScore Bet
The latest Ipswich vs Hull odds are available on LiveScore Bet
