Hull offer the Championship value for Premier League promotion
Published:Reading and Southampton almost certainly did not have the strongest squads in the Championship last season but filled the top two places and 10/1 looks a big price that Hull are this season’s surprise package and secure promotion to the Premier League.
The Championship looks especially tough to call this season, with at least half of the clubs having suitable promotion prospects.
Blackburn, Bolton and Wolves have lost few players between them from the Premier League last season, while the three promoted clubs are by no means shoe-ins to make an immediate return to League One.
Add that Nottingham Forest have been taken over by wealthy investors, things are looking bright for Watford and Leeds have the Championship-proven Neil Warnock to guide them and it is clear how difficult the promotion puzzle is to solve.
Hull have not been among the chief headline makers, but they have been quietly going about their business, improving on a squad that was in play-off contention towards the latter stages of last season.
Their main problems were losing too many games at home and simply not scoring enough goals.
Only champions Reading conceded fewer goals than Hull last season and with Jack Hobbs set to miss the start of the season as he continues to recover from a cruciate ligament injury, Steve Bruce has moved to sign Abdoulaye Faye.
However, the big transfer could be that of little-known German Nick Proschwitz from SC Paderborn.
Proschwitz was the joint top-scorer in Bundesliga 2 last season, but more importantly will bring some much needed aerial threat to Hull’s attacks to compensate the likes of Matty Fryatt.
Meanwhile, Sone Aluko’s arrival from Rangers should provide some greater crossing consistency from the flanks and offer the service that can be thrived upon, with Robert Koren continuing to pull the strings centrally.
Although a big ask, some punters may want to take a risk on the 28/1 that Hull win the Championship this season.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
