I know it's early in the season, just seven league games in to be precise, but this is a match that brings together two very under pressure managers. If there's a loser in this game then surely either Hull boss Leonid Slutsky or Black Cats manager Simon Grayson will be fearing the worst.
That shouldn't be the case of course because as both Harry Redknapp and Steve Bruce have alluded to in recent days, there's still 39 games to go. Though it's no surprise to hear those two speak the words they did given their current league positions (Villa are 18th, Birmingham are 22nd).
Eyebrows were raised when Slutsky was given the job at Hull but the Russian got off to a decent start, drawing at Villa and thrashing Burton in his first two league games. But since then it's been a tale of woe; five defeats in six games including an EFL Cup defeat to League One Doncaster and a dreadful showing in front of the live TV cameras in last week's 5-0 loss at Derby.
After Hull's midweek loss at Fulham Slutsky said, "We will have a special tactical lesson speaking about a new formation."
I find those words very worrying. It suggests that the Tigers boss doesn't really know what his best formation or starting XI is, and what tactics to deploy. It means we could be set for a wide open affair on Saturday afternoon.
At the KCOM Stadium this season Hull have played three times, with their results being 4-1, 2-3, and 4-0, so that's 4.66 goals per game in that period. On that basis alone, and with Slutsky's words fresh in my mind, Over 2.5 Goals looks a decent bet at 2.04.
Sunderland are the visitors on Saturday afternoon however, a team of similar ability that is also going through a poor run of form, so I can understand why the layers expect this to be a tight game with marginal preference in the market for Under 2.5 Goals.
But Grayson's men look to be a much better side on the road than they are at home, and hopefully they'll go to Hull believing they can take all three points, which should result in a clash between two sides desperate and needing to win. And when that's the case then usually goals are scored.
Recommended Bets
Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.04
Middlesbrough 1.76 v QPR 5.60; The Draw 3.80
This is the fourth column this season in which I've recommended a Middlesbrough Clean Sheet, but when you can keep backing something at odds against (or thereabouts) that happens extremely regularly then why would we even think about not doing so?
We wouldn't is the answer, so this recommendation will be short and sweet.
At odds of 10/11, 5/4, and 2/1 Boro kept clean sheets against Burton, Preston, and Aston Villa when advised on these pages, and Garry Monk's men have also recorded shut-outs against Sheffield United, Bolton, and Scunthorpe in the League Cup. That's six clean sheets in eight games for the Teessiders, and four out of four at the Riverside Stadium.
Boro now host a QPR side team that has started the season quite well, but one that has shown all its best form at Loftus Road. Away from home Ian Holloway's men haven taken just a single point from a possible nine, and last week at Cardiff they managed just the solitary shot on target.
I know I keep repeating myself but Middlesbrough recorded more clean sheets than any club in the country during their last Championship campaign, they've have retained many of the players that were pivotal in those defensive areas - Ben Gibson, George Friend, Daniel Ayala, Grant Leadbitter, Adam Clayton for example - and they're yet to concede a single goal on home soil this term.
A price of 6/5 about Monk's men keeping another clean sheet makes plenty of appeal.
Recommended Bets
Back Middlesbrough Clean Sheet @ 6/5 (Sportsbook) (best bet)
Sheffield United 2.60 v Norwich 2.96; The Draw 3.55
I haven't quite called Norwich correct yet but I'm going to oppose them on Saturday when they visit in-form Sheffield United.
The Canaries were slightly disappointing - performance wise - in their two home games after the international break; a scrappy 1-0 win was followed by a disappointing goalless draw against relegation favourites Burton when Daniel Farke's men managed just two shots on target.
Okay, a return of four points and no goals conceded is not to be sniffed at, but playing at home to two sides in the bottom four you'd have expected Norwich to score more than a single goal.
But it's the Canaries' away form that is the bigger concern. They lost back-to-back away matches just before the break and conceded an alarming eight goals in the process. The 4-0 defeat at Millwall was a horror show and is hard to forgive.
The Blades have enjoyed a tremendous start following last season's promotion from League One. Chris Wilder's men currently sit third in the table after recording their fourth consecutive victory in midweek. But it' at Bramall Lane where United are particularly strong, winning all three of their league matches on home soil so far including an impressive 3-1 victory over much-fancied Derby.
So given Wilder's men have home advantage on Saturday, and are hosting a side that has been very disappointing on the road this term, then odds of 2.60 about another home victory look worth chancing.
Recommended Bet
Back Sheffield United to Win @ 2.60
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