Sheffield Wednesday vs Hull City prediction, H2H and probable lineups - December 26, 2025
One of the standout fixtures of the Championship's festive round takes place on Friday at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, where the local side Sheffield Wednesday hosts Hull City. Here’s my pick for the outcome of this clash, taking both teams’ current form into account.
Match preview
The Owls are entering one of the most troubling stretches of their season — firmly rooted to the bottom of the table with just a single win to their name. The Hillsborough faithful are still waiting for their first home triumph, and with each passing week, hope for survival is slipping away. Problems on the pitch are only compounded by uncertainty in the boardroom and a deepening personnel crisis, leaving the coaching staff under immense pressure.
Their latest 1-3 defeat to Ipswich brought yet another blank in the points column, but the team showed some grit and, at times, a fighting spirit. Still, the stats are grim: Sheffield Wednesday are the league’s lowest scorers and have the weakest defense. The attack lacks sharpness, the backline offers little security, and the upcoming match promises to be another tough test.
In stark contrast, Hull City are enjoying one of their best runs of the season, having won four of their last five matches and cemented themselves in the playoff zone. Their narrow victory over West Bromwich underlined their ability to grind out results in tight contests, and under Serbian manager Serdar Jakirović, the Tigers look mature and well-drilled.
The attacking unit is particularly impressive, with the front duo already netting 19 goals between them. Even though Hull City have a modest Boxing Day record, they travel to Sheffield as clear favorites. In great form and brimming with confidence, they look more than capable of taking all three points back to South Yorkshire.
Probable lineups
- Sheffield Wednesday: Charles; Iorfa, Cooper, M Lowe, Valery, Palmer; Bannan, Ingelsson, Amass; J Lowe, Cadamarteri
- Hull City: Pandur; Coyle, Egan, Hughes, Giles; Slater, Belloumi, Crooks, Millar; McBurnie, Joseph
Match facts and head-to-head
- Hull City have won four of their last five league matches.
- Sheffield Wednesday remain the only team without a home win this season.
- In their most recent head-to-head, Hull City triumphed 1-0, despite losing their three previous meetings against Sheffield.
Prediction
It’s hard to imagine Sheffield Wednesday delivering a Christmas present to their fans this year. The team is in a dire state both in terms of results and squad depth. Against this backdrop, Hull City look like a well-oiled machine gathering momentum, and even missing a few key players, they should have more than enough to claim all three points. Expect a confident away win, with odds of 1.98.
