Opta Big Match Stats: Collins to step up for West Ham

West Ham retain an outside chance of European qualification

If these Opta trends are taken as gospel, Hull will score but suffer defeat when they visit West Ham...

West Ham v Hull
Sunday, 13:30
Live on Sky Sports 1

Match Odds: West Ham 1.84/5, Hull 5.59/2, The Draw 3.711/4

The Hammers have won the last five home games in a row against the Tigers

This is a fixture that the Hammers wouldn't have been wrong to count the points from in advance in recent times. They have won five on the bounce against Hull at the Boleyn Ground. Hull have only triumphed once in their 13 away fixtures since an opening day success at QPR too, losing on eight occasions. Their record against West Ham at any ground isn't much better either. They have won one in eight against them, and that was courtesy of a contentious penalty award.

Recommended Bet: Back West Ham to win @ 1.784/5

Sam Allardyce's side have scored the most headed goals in the Premier League this season (14)

The centre backs are among those to have profited from the Irons' crossing ability. James Tomkins and Winston Reid have already netted in the Premier League this season, while Collins troubled the scoreboard operators in the FA Cup less than a fortnight ago, and should retain his place after being named man of the match in midweek. Opta reveal that Hull don't tend to start matches well, already conceding eight times in the first 15 minutes of fixtures this season, which is a Premier League high.

Recommended Bet: Back James Collins to score first @ 34.033/1

West Ham have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight Premier League matches

There has been a common theme running throughout the majority of West Ham's recent matches - no clean sheets, with the only one in the aforementioned sequence obtained at home to bottom club Leicester. Helpfully, they also failed to score just once across that eight-game stretch, and that was away to leaders Chelsea. Hull have struck in five of their six league encounters with London opposition this season, with the one exception occurring at Stamford Bridge.

Recommended Bet: Back both teams to score @ 2.0621/20