SkyBet: Whittingham and Murphy threat to South Yorkshire duo

West Ham hauled themselves out of the Premier League relegation zone with their 2-0 win over Birmingham last time out and now they have some firepower it is easy to see them beating Hull City today.

Carlton Cole is back from injury and Gianfranco Zola's attacking options were bolstered by three transfer window signings – Benni McCarthy, Mido and Ilan.

Conceding goals had been a major problem for the Hammers but they have kept three clean sheets in their last four games at Upton Park, so the leak appears to have been plugged.

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Hull's problems are self-evident – they cannot perform away from home as they do at the KC Stadium. Four points from 13 away games, with seven goals scored and 31 conceded, is a miserable return.

Three successive defeats put an emphatic end to Barnsley's good run and they face a difficult trip to Cardiff.

It is hard to know what to make of either of these teams as their form is so erratic so it makes sense to look beyond the outright match result market.

Barnsley have scored and conceded in six of their last seven away games – it is 5-6 for this to happen again – while Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham is the Championship's leading scorer with 16 goals and can be backed at 7-4 to net his 17th of the campaign.

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Sheffield United's defeat at Nottingham Forest in the week was their fifth in succession on the road and their ninth in all, so you would need nerves of steel to take the 11-10 about them beating Peterborough at London Road.

The Blades were so strong on their travels last season but this time around it is a different story.

Doncaster Rovers, on the other hand, are well placed to take advantage of QPR's deepening, self-inflicted crisis by winning at Loftus Road.

Sheffield Wednesday meet Ipswich Town in a relegation battle at Hillsborough despite the somewhat loftier ambitions of both clubs.

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Neither side can be trusted to win the game but Ipswich striker Daryl Murphy has scored in the last three games and merits consideration at 8-1 to score

first or last in what should be a low-scoring game.

Huddersfield Town have taken seven points from their last three away games and will be optimistic of picking up three more at Hartlepool, who have struggled through a difficult run of fixtures.

A 2-2 draw against Leeds United, though, suggests that Hartlepool are capable of getting some decent results and this looks like another draw.

Leeds, meanwhile, take on Brighton looking to end their worst run of results since Simon Grayson took charge.

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On current form, they cannot be supported at 2-5 against a team who are much better when playing away from home.

Finally in League Two, Bradford go to Accrington Stanley, who have returned one point from their last three games.

Bradford's form is not much better, but they have won three of their last five on the road and this fixture might just suit them.

Weekend's best bets

n West Ham to beat Hull.

n Cardiff v Barnsley – Peter Whittingham to score.

n Doncaster to win at QPR.

n Sheffield Wednesday v Ipswich – Daryl Murphy to score first.

n Hartlepool to draw with Huddersfield.

n Bradford City to win at Accrington Stanley.