Hull City vs Ipswich prediction, team news and preview

Hull City vs Ipswich: what the match decides

Hull City host Ipswich in round nine of the Premier League on Saturday 31 October 2026 at the MKM Stadium. Both sides arrive on 10 points from eight games, Hull in 10th place and Ipswich in 12th, so the match decides which of them opens a small gap on the other.

The records behind those equal totals are different. Hull have won 2, drawn 4 and lost 2, scoring 9 and conceding 8 for a goal difference of +1. Ipswich have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 4, scoring 12 and conceding 16 for a goal difference of -4. Manchester City lead the table with 21 points, 11 clear of both teams, so this is a contest for mid-table position rather than the top of the table.

The short version of our analysis: Hull are hard to beat but are not winning, while Ipswich score goals but concede plenty. That points to an open, two-way game in which a draw or a narrow home result is the most likely outcome. The sections below explain why, and what could change it.

Hull City and Ipswich recent form

Hull's last five matches read D L D L D: no wins, three draws and two defeats, with 6 goals scored and 8 conceded. That works out at 1.2 scored and 1.6 conceded per game. They have no clean sheets in the run, failed to score once, and both teams have scored in four of the five. They drew 2-2 at Chelsea, lost 1-2 at Newcastle, drew 2-2 with Everton, lost 0-1 at Fulham and drew 1-1 with Brentford.

At home the picture is steadier but still short of wins. Hull have played two home games in the run and drawn both, 2-2 with Everton and 1-1 with Brentford, scoring 3 and conceding 3. That is 1.5 goals scored and 1.5 conceded per home game, with no clean sheets.

Ipswich's last five were L L W L D, with one win, one draw and three defeats. They scored 7 and conceded 10, which is 1.4 scored and 2.0 conceded per game, with no clean sheets, one failure to score, and both sides scoring in four of the five. That run includes a 2-4 League Cup home defeat to Arsenal, a 0-1 loss at Everton, a 2-1 home win over Fulham, a 2-3 defeat at Manchester City and a 1-1 home draw with Nottingham Forest.

Away from home, Ipswich have lost both of their games in the run. They scored 2 and conceded 4, so 1.0 scored and 2.0 conceded per away game. Three of the last five matches for each team went over 2.5 goals.

Hull City vs Ipswich team news

Hull have the longer list. Six players are out: I. Ansah (back injury), J. Butland (arm injury), D. Gyabi (groin injury), C. Hughes (groin injury), E. Matazo (knee injury) and M. Targett (ankle injury). L. Gourna-Douath (calf injury) and N. Mendy (groin injury) are doubtful.

With six confirmed absentees and two more doubts, Hull's squad depth is under pressure for a side that has not won in its last five. Our data does not say which positions are most affected, so we will not guess at the shape of the team. What the numbers do show is that this is a lot of ground to cover for a side already conceding 1.6 goals per game over that run.

Ipswich are in better shape. J. Taylor is out with a knee injury, and S. Lukic is doubtful with a groin injury. Only two players are listed, so Ipswich should be able to field something close to their usual group if Lukic is passed fit.

No line-ups are published in our data yet. They are confirmed about an hour before kick-off, and we would check them first, because the two doubtful Hull players and Lukic are the main late variables.

Hull City vs Ipswich storylines

Hull's story is one of draws. Four of their eight league games have ended level, and three of their last five. Their 10th place is built on not losing often, but the current run has produced no win and a record of two defeats from five. A home win here would be their first success since before the Chelsea draw on 12 September.

There is also a scoring question. Hull have scored 9 goals in eight league games, and their last five averaged 1.2 per game. They have shown they can draw 2-2 with Chelsea and Everton, which suggests the attack is not the problem so much as the inability to turn level scores into wins.

Ipswich's story is volatility. They have 12 goals scored but 16 conceded in eight league games, which is why they sit 12th despite having won more games than Hull. Their most recent results show the pattern: a 2-1 win over Fulham, a 2-3 loss at Manchester City after scoring twice, and a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

What this match can change is the direction of both runs. Hull can end a winless stretch at the MKM Stadium, while Ipswich can end a poor away record of two defeats in two in the recent run and move clear of Hull on points. A draw would leave them level on 10 points once again, or close to it depending on other results.

Where Hull City vs Ipswich will be decided

The main battle is Ipswich's attack against Hull's defence. Ipswich score 1.4 goals per game in their recent run, and Hull concede 1.6, with no clean sheets in five matches. If Hull's injury list thins their defensive options, Ipswich will have chances to score at least once, and their one failure to score in five suggests they usually do.

The mirror image favours Hull. Ipswich concede 2.0 per game over the same period and 2.0 per away game, while Hull score 1.2 per game and 1.5 at home. Hull are not prolific, but Ipswich's defensive numbers mean the home side may only need one or two goals to stay in the contest.

Game state matters too. Both teams have had both sides scoring in four of their last five matches, and both have seen three of five go over 2.5 goals. Neither side has kept a clean sheet in the recent run, so the first goal is unlikely to settle the game, and a response from the other team is the more common pattern.

The final point is the draw habit. Hull have drawn three of five, and both of their home games in that run. If the match follows that pattern, it will be decided by a late goal or by which team handles the final 15 minutes better, rather than by one side dominating.

Hull City vs Ipswich head-to-head

The two clubs have met six times in our data, all in the Championship or League One. Going by the scores, Ipswich have won four, Hull one and one match was drawn. Those meetings produced 16 goals, or 2.67 per game, and three of the six went over 2.5 goals.

The most recent meetings favour Ipswich. They won 1-0 at home on 3 March 2026 and 2-0 at the MKM Stadium on 25 November 2025, both in the Championship. Before that, the sides drew 3-3 at Hull on 27 April 2024, the only game in which both teams scored. Ipswich also won 3-0 at home on 3 October 2023.

Hull's only win came in League One, 3-0 at Ipswich on 24 November 2020, and Ipswich won the return 1-0 at Hull on 23 February 2021. Those games are several years old and both teams have changed, so they carry less weight than the current form, but Ipswich's recent results in this fixture are worth noting.

Hull City vs Ipswich prediction

Our lean is that Hull do not lose this match, with the draw the single most likely outcome and a narrow Hull win the next most likely. Three facts drive that. Hull have drawn three of their last five and both recent home games, Ipswich have lost both of their recent away matches, and Ipswich concede 2.0 goals per game over their last five.

On goals, we lean towards both teams scoring and a total of three or more. Both sides have seen both teams score in four of their last five, and three of five went over 2.5 goals for each. A scoreline such as 1-1 or 2-1 to Hull fits the numbers better than a low scoring game.

This is a lean, not a certainty. Hull's injury list is long, with six out and two doubtful, and a late setback to Gourna-Douath or Mendy would weaken them further. Ipswich have won four of the six meetings, including the last two, so a result for the visitors is a real possibility, especially if their attack finds space.

MATCH PULSE's three AI engines (GPT, Claude and Gemini) publish their independent analysis of the match before kick-off.

How to watch Hull City vs Ipswich

The match is on Saturday 31 October 2026 at the MKM Stadium, and the page shows the kick-off time in your own time zone. No broadcaster is listed for the United Kingdom in our data, so UK readers should check the Premier League's official broadcast partner and its official app.

In Ireland, the listed broadcasters are Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Premier Sports. In the United States, the match is listed on NBC, USA Network and Telemundo, and in Canada on fuboTV. In Australia, it is on Stan Sport, and in New Zealand on Sky Sport.

In Europe, the listed broadcasters include Sky Sport in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, Canal+ in France, DAZN and Movistar Plus+ in Spain, and Viaplay and Prime Video in the Netherlands. In India, it is on Star Sports, and in Brazil on ESPN and CazéTV. In the Middle East and North Africa, beIN Sports is the listed broadcaster in many countries.

In Nigeria, the listed broadcasters are SuperSport and SportyTV, and in South Africa they are SuperSport and SABC Sport. Elsewhere, check the official Premier League broadcast partner in your country and its official app.

Only official rights holders are listed; availability can change. Watching through unofficial streams is unsafe and unfair to the clubs.

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