Stoke City vs Hull City Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview | EFL Cup

Stoke City welcome newly-promoted Premier League side Hull City to the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday night in the second round of the EFL Cup.

The two clubs have experienced very different starts to the new campaign. Stoke have lost both of their opening Championship fixtures, while Hull produced one of the biggest results of the Premier League opening weekend by beating Manchester United 2-0.

Hull’s extensive summer recruitment also gives Sergej Jakirovic plenty of options to rotate without necessarily weakening his team significantly. At odds of 2.40, backing Hull City to win looks like the value play.

Prediction Summary

Our prediction: Stoke City 0-2 Hull City

Hull could hardly have asked for a better return to the Premier League, beating Manchester United 2-0 while keeping a clean sheet.

The interesting part for this cup tie is the depth behind that starting XI. Hull brought in a large number of players during the summer, and several did not start against United. Tuesday therefore represents an ideal opportunity for Jakirovic to rotate while still fielding a strong and motivated team.

Stoke, meanwhile, have started their Championship campaign with consecutive defeats and are still trying to integrate plenty of new arrivals themselves.

At 2.40, Hull look too attractive to ignore.

Quick Prediction

Best Bet: Hull City to Win
Market: Full-Time Result
Correct Score Prediction: Stoke City 0-2 Hull City
Odds: 2.40
Confidence: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Expected Goals: Under 3.5
Both Teams To Score: No

📅 Date: Tuesday 25/08/2026
🏟️ Venue: bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent
🏆 Competition: EFL Cup – Second Round

Match Preview

Stoke City already have one EFL Cup victory under their belt after comfortably beating League Two side Oldham Athletic 2-0 in the opening round.

Their Championship campaign has been much less convincing.

The Potters opened with a 2-1 defeat against Swansea City before losing 3-1 against Southampton at the weekend.

The Southampton scoreline was perhaps slightly harsh on Stoke.

Mark Robins felt his team played well for large periods, but they faded physically towards the end, with late goals ultimately turning a competitive contest into a two-goal defeat.

That nevertheless leaves Stoke with zero points from their opening two league games and five goals conceded.

There is plenty of change taking place at the bet365 Stadium.

Milan Smit, Djibril Soumare, Josh Griffiths, Ethan Galbraith, Svante Ingelsson, Luke Graham, George Morrison, Jack Newall, George Hirst and Ben Johnson are among a long list of summer additions.

It is a substantial rebuild.

Robins has already acknowledged that his new-look squad will need some time to gel, and an EFL Cup game against Premier League opposition is hardly an easy environment in which to find that rhythm.

Hull arrive in a completely different mood.

Their first Premier League fixture since 2017 could hardly have gone better.

The Tigers produced a superb 2-0 victory over Manchester United, with defenders Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scoring the goals.

It was not simply three points.

For a newly-promoted team, beating one of England’s biggest clubs in the opening round can immediately create belief that they belong at this level.

And there is another reason to like Hull here.

Their summer recruitment has given Jakirovic considerably more depth.

Nobel Mendy, Jack Butland, Oscar Zambrano, Matt Targett, Hidemasa Morita, Konstantinos Tzolakis, Jens Hjerto-Dahl, Elliot Stroud, Lucas Herrington, Lucas Gourna-Douath and Joe Gelhardt have all arrived during a hugely active transfer window.

Crucially, several of those players were not part of the starting XI against Manchester United.

That makes this cup tie an excellent opportunity for Jakirovic to make changes while giving new arrivals competitive minutes.

Normally, rotation would make backing a Premier League side in the EFL Cup more dangerous.

Here, it could actually work in Hull’s favour.

There should be players coming into the team desperate to make an impression after watching Saturday’s 2-0 victory from the bench.

Stoke do have a strong recent head-to-head record, winning six of the last ten meetings between these clubs.

But this is a very different Hull side from the Championship versions Stoke have faced in recent seasons.

For more selections from England and across Europe, see our latest football betting tips and predictions.

Why Hull City to Win Makes Sense

The first thing that stands out is the price.

Hull are available at approximately 2.40 to win, which implies a probability of only around 41.7%.

For a Premier League team arriving immediately after a 2-0 victory against Manchester United, that looks interesting.

The obvious concern is rotation.

But Hull’s summer business makes that less worrying than it would normally be.

Jakirovic has a large group of new players who need minutes. Rather than filling Tuesday’s XI with academy players, Hull can rotate and still select experienced senior footballers with something to prove.

Jens Hjerto-Dahl is one player who could receive an opportunity, while Oli McBurnie could lead the attack.

Hull also showed against Manchester United that their threat does not have to come exclusively from their forwards.

Both goals were scored by defenders.

At the other end, keeping a clean sheet against United should give the entire defensive unit enormous confidence.

Stoke’s situation is different.

They have conceded five goals across their opening two Championship fixtures and are themselves trying to integrate a substantial number of summer signings.

Their defeat against Southampton also highlighted a potential issue late in matches.

If Stoke tire again, Premier League-quality depth from Hull’s bench could become decisive.

The recent H2H numbers favour Stoke, but current circumstances favour Hull.

At 2.40, I believe the market is giving too much weight to home advantage and the possibility of Hull rotation.

Our prediction is 0-2 Hull City.

Team News

Stoke have several absentees ahead of the second-round tie.

Aaron Cresswell, Lamine Cisse, Bosun Lawal, Junior Tchamadeu and Ato Ampah are expected to miss out through injury.

Robins may also use the cup to freshen his starting XI following Saturday’s Championship defeat.

Robert Bozenik could be introduced in attack, while Tomas Rigo is an option to replace Djibril Soumare in midfield.

Hull also have a significant injury list.

Eliot Matazo, Darko Gyabi, Jack Butland, Oscar Zambrano, Charlie Hughes, Joe Gelhardt and Hidemasa Morita are unavailable.

However, the Tigers’ extensive summer recruitment means Jakirovic still has options.

A switch from the back five used against Manchester United to a four-man defence is possible, while Jens Hjerto-Dahl and Oli McBurnie could be among those handed starts.

The motivation of Hull’s fringe players could be particularly important.

After watching the first-choice XI beat Manchester United, those coming into the side now have an opportunity to push themselves into Jakirovic’s Premier League plans.

Players to Watch

Oli McBurnie

McBurnie could get his opportunity from the start if Hull rotate their attack.

His physical presence should provide a very different challenge for Stoke’s centre-backs, particularly if Hull look to play more directly away from home.

Jens Hjerto-Dahl

The young Norwegian is another player who could benefit from rotation.

A cup game represents an ideal opportunity to show Jakirovic that he deserves more Premier League minutes.

Ethan Galbraith

Galbraith is one of Stoke’s summer arrivals and could be important in helping the hosts control possession.

Stoke will need to prevent Hull from dictating the midfield if they are to cause an upset.

Robert Bozenik

Bozenik could be introduced to freshen Stoke’s attack after their difficult opening league games.

If Stoke are to trouble Hull, his ability to convert limited opportunities may be important.

Head-to-Head

This is one area where Stoke have a clear positive.

The Potters have won six of the last ten competitive meetings against Hull City.

That record cannot simply be ignored.

However, historical H2H numbers are less persuasive when one of the teams has undergone such a significant transformation.

Hull are now a Premier League club and have invested heavily in strengthening the squad following promotion.

Their 2-0 victory over Manchester United provided immediate evidence that the step up has not intimidated them.

Stoke may have enjoyed this fixture historically, but Tuesday’s Hull side should be considerably stronger than many of the teams involved in those previous meetings.

Final Verdict

Hull City at 2.40 is the standout selection.

There is always additional uncertainty when betting on EFL Cup fixtures because of squad rotation, but Hull’s situation is unusual.

They have recruited heavily during the summer and have several senior players who need competitive minutes.

That means Jakirovic can make substantial changes from the team that defeated Manchester United without simply surrendering quality.

Stoke are also undergoing a rebuild, but their opening Championship results show that everything has not yet clicked.

Two league matches have produced two defeats and five goals conceded.

Hull, meanwhile, arrive with confidence soaring after a 2-0 Premier League victory over Manchester United.

Stoke’s strong recent H2H record deserves respect, but current squad quality, momentum and depth point towards the visitors.

At odds of 2.40, the price is good enough to take.

The correct score prediction is Stoke City 0-2 Hull City.

FreeOddsTips Prediction

Stoke City 0-2 Hull City

Best Bet: Hull City to Win
Odds: 2.40
Confidence: 4/5