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Hull v Bolton

Sky Bet Championship, KCOM Stadium, 1500 GMT

Jarrod Bowen scores for Hull against QPR

It's been a very Merry Christmas for Hull this year, with four consecutive victories firing them to within two points of the top-half.

The Tigers handed Leeds a reality check at Elland Road last time out as they won 2-0, ending Marcelo Bielsa's seven-game winning streak in the league.

I'll be honest, as someone who tipped a top-half finish for Hull this season at 7/1 in the last Sky Bet Championship podcast, I'm quite enjoying the results that Nigel Adkins' men are picking up.

They should make it five wins in a row against a Bolton side who have struggled on the road this season. The visitors have failed to win in ten away from home, and the timing of this trip to the east coast could hardly be worse.

A home win looks a good option to add to your New Year's Day roll-ups at a general price of 4/6, in fact Hull are also a selection in our first Sporting Life Accumulator of 2019.

One of the stars of this Hull side is Jarrod Bowen, with the 22-year-old the subject of interest from at least eight different clubs heading into the January transfer window.

It's hardly a surprise - he has ten goals and three assists this season, netting a brace in three of his last six outings, and looks destined big bigger things.

I wouldn't worry too much about the interest from elsewhere providing a potential distraction, either. Leeds were one of the clubs asking about him, and despite this interest becoming public knowledge, Bowen still hit two at Elland Road.

At a price of 15/8 with Betfair and Paddy Power, the winger is fancied to strike again on Tuesday.

Best bet:

Opta facts

  • Hull City and Bolton Wanderers have alternated between victory and defeat in their last seven league encounters (four Hull wins, three for Bolton), with the Tigers winning 1-0 last time out in October.
  • Bolton have lost each of their last four league visits to Hull since a 1-0 win in the Premier League in November 2008.
  • This is the third time Hull and Bolton have met on New Year’s Day in the Football League – a goalless draw in 1974 and a 1-0 win for Bolton last season.
  • Bolton have won just four points in their last 10 away Championship games (W0 D4 L6).
  • Hull City boss Nigel Adkins has lost just one of his five Championship matches against Bolton as a manager (W2 D2), a 1-0 defeat with the Tigers last season.
  • Bolton have only won once in their last 10 matches in January in all competitions (D3 L6), though it did come against Hull on this date last year.

Ipswich v Millwall

Sky Bet Championship, Portman Road, 1500 GMT

Opta facts

  • Ipswich are unbeaten in their last four home Championship matches versus Millwall (W3 D1), scoring 2+ goals in each such game.
  • Millwall, 3-0 winners over Ipswich in the reverse meeting in October this season, haven’t won consecutive league games against the Tractor Boys since April 2012 (three straight wins).
  • Ipswich manager Paul Lambert last faced Millwall in the Championship in February 2011 – his Norwich City side ran out 2-1 winners despite falling 0-1 behind.
  • Millwall last faced Ipswich on New Year’s Day in 2003, losing 4-1 with current boss Neil Harris playing the full match for the Lions.
  • During 2018, Ipswich won just three matches at Portman Road in all competitions (D11 L9), all 1-0 (against Leeds, Barnsley and Wigan).
  • Millwall are winless in 14 away Championship matches (D4 L10) since a 2-0 win at Bolton in April 2018.

Nottingham Forest v Leeds

Sky Bet Championship, City Ground, 1500 GMT, Sky Sports Main Event

Opta facts

  • Nottingham Forest are winless in their last four Championship matches against Leeds (D2 L2) since a 3-1 win in August 2016.
  • Leeds, 2-0 winners at the City Ground last season, haven’t won back-to-back league visits to Nottingham Forest since August 1969 (three straight wins).
  • Nottingham Forest’s Aitor Karanka has only won one of his seven league games as a manager against Leeds United (D3 L3), a 3-0 victory over Uwe Rosler’s Leeds team when in charge of Middlesbrough in September 2015.
  • This is Leeds’ first away league match on New Year’s Day for 22 years – since losing 0-3 at Newcastle United in the Premier League in 1997.
  • Nottingham Forest striker Lewis Grabban has scored four goals in his last five league starts against Leeds United.
  • Leeds have had a player red carded in four of their last six January matches in all competitions – against Sutton United (Liam Cooper), Newport County (Samuel Saiz), Ipswich Town (Eunan O’Kane) and Millwall (Cooper again).

Odds correct at 1030 GMT (31/12/18)

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