Hull City v West Brom: Back an 11/1 bet-builder in Saturday's Championship clash

• Referee Stephen Martin showed eight cards last time out

• Jean Seri has been booked seven times in 26 league appearances

• U2.5 has copped in five of WBA's last seven games

Hull City v WBA
Saturday, 12:30
Live on Sky Sports Football

There is an almighty tussle in the Championship for the last two spots in the top six, with the two current incumbents meeting in the early kick-off on Saturday in an opportunity for really stake their claim to pull away from the chasing pack.

Both sides come here high off away wins in midweek, with Hull's 2-1 win at Southampton really sending out a message to the rest of the Championship that they have the quality to beat anyone in the league.

Two January signings in Anass Zaroury and Fabio Carvalho scored the goals to make it three wins in a row, as Liam Rosenior's side are seemingly hitting some form as we hit the business end of the season.

West Brom's midweek opponents may not have been as strong as Hull's, but their total domination at Plymouth Argyle was still impressive. This is a huge game for both sides, with a defeat for Albion meaning they'd fall out of the Top 5 for the first time since the end of November.

Leg 1: Over 4.5 cards

Stephen Martin is the man on the whistle for this one, fresh off a confetti session where he showed eight cards in Birmingham's 2-1 win over Sunderland. He's officiated surprisingly few games this season, but this bet would have copped in five of his last 10 games.

Given Hull have the fifth worst disciplinary record in the Championship, and not to mention the high-stakes game here, this feels ripe for plenty of card action.

Leg 2: Jean Seri to be shown a card

Seri is back from his triumphant AFCON expedition and returned to the side in the 2-1 win at Southampton in midweek, so is sure to line up in midfield again here. With seven yellow cards from 26 league appearances this season, if the bookings forecast is accurate then Seri looks a prime candidate to have his name taken.

Leg 3: Under 2.5 goals

Hull's last three games may have ended 2-1, but that proceeded three games that saw just three goals in total, and the total xG in two of the recent three games didn't amount to 2xG. Their possession based style is patient rather than proactive, and they come up against an opponent here who thrive when able to defend with men behind the ball.

U2.5 has copped in five of WBA's last seven games, which is no shock given the pragmatic nature of their manager Carlos Corberan. The high-stakes nature of the game should also play into the chances of it being cagey and low-scoring.

Now read more Championship previews and tips here.

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