Big cup night at the MKM: Hull welcome Blackburn in Round 3
The FA Cup returns to the MKM Stadium on 11 January 2026 and Round 3 brings a mouthwatering tie as Hull City host Blackburn Rovers. The game, officiated by Will Finnie, promises a competitive clash between two Championship sides whose recent results tell different stories. Hull arrive buoyed by some solid wins in December but suffered a narrow 0-1 reverse to Stoke on New Year’s Day, while Blackburn have been grinding out draws and have struggled to turn stalemates into victories. The venue in Hull provides a useful home edge and the bookmakers have responded: Hull are the slight favourites with priced value around 2.26 for the win.
Form, recent meetings and what the numbers suggest
Hull’s recent results show a team that can win but lacks consistency; a run featuring victories over Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion sits alongside draws and defeats. Their last outing ended 0-1 at home to Stoke, where John Egan stood out as Hull’s top performer. Blackburn have been famously hard to beat in recent weeks — their pattern contains far more draws than wins, including a 2-2 draw with Charlton on 4 January and a goalless stalemate in late December. Moussa Baradji earned Blackburn’s best match rating in that draw, a sign that individuals can still influence the outcome when games are tight.
The head-to-head memory from August 2025 still stings for Hull: Blackburn ran out 3-0 winners that day, demonstrating they can be clinical on a given night. However, the Cup setting often changes the dynamic; the MKM’s crowd and the marginally healthier recent win-rate for Hull nudge the balance in their favour this time.
From a tactical point of view, expect a cautious opening. Blackburn’s tendency to draw suggests they will look to keep the scoreline tight and hit on the counter, while Hull — with the home pressure and higher bookmaker probability — should take more initiative. With such contrasting profiles, the match outcome is likely to hinge on which side converts a key moment.
For readers weighing up markets, it’s worth pairing match insight with broader strategy and market selection advice such as the guidance in soccer betting tips and the choice of markets and knowing when to deploy goal-specific plays per the right time to place bets on goal markets.
Betting suggestion: Back Hull City to win (1) in the 1X2 market at the available price around 2.26. The home side’s recent ability to turn matches into wins and the bookmaker probability favouring Hull provide value; Blackburn’s string of draws makes a home victory a sensible single-market play for this FA Cup tie.
