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WEST Brom’s 1-1 draw against Stoke at the Britannia in September was wholly in keeping with this fixture’s recent history.
Four of the pair’s last dozen league duels ended all-square, while seven of the other eight were settled by a single goal; it would be a brave punter who bet against Saturday’s contest being a goal-fuelled extravaganza.
Tony Pulis’s men open as Ladbrokes’ 11/8 favourites to secure maximum points and priced at 3/1 (bet365) to enjoy a one-goal margin of victory; astute punters will recognise that backing both outcomes in a win double offers prospective net winning odds of 17/2. Yet the draw (12/5, Coral) cannot be discounted and Skybet’s 7/2 for it to end as a score draw has attracted steady support.
The likelihood of another 1-1 draw is a 6/1 shot at Betway, but Albion will fancy their chances of taking maximum points: they’re 13/2 (888sport) to win 1-0.
Blues, who host Fulham on Saturday, have won two and drawn two of their last four league matches at Craven Cottage yet they’ve managed only one victory in their last five against Fulham at St Andrew’s, an odd state of affairs that partly account for the hosts’ 13/5 price (188bet).
Fulham have become a very difficult side to beat – their last five league defeats have all been by a single goal – hence they arrive in the Midlands priced as Marathonbet’s 6/5 favourites to avenge the 1-0 defeat they suffered when the pair last locked horns in September.
Betfred considers the chances of both teams scoring as an 11/10 shot, although bolder sorts will prefer Ladbrokes’ 11/2 chalked against it ending one apiece.
Nottingham Forest kick off as William Hill’s 11/5 underdogs to overhaul Villa on Saturday teatime, but it’s worth noting that no side in the bottom half of the Championship has won more home games (7) than Forest and only Rotherham have won fewer away matches than Villa. None the less, Steve Bruce’s men are Coral’s 6/4 favourites to claim a maximum haul and a tastylooking 9/1 (BetVictor.com) to win 2-1.
Wolves must set aside the euphoria of last week and get on with the day-to-day business of league scraps when they travel to Burton on Saturday. Wolves’ tails are up following their ultimately comfortable FA Cup win over Liverpool and their midweek success against Barnsley, which explains why bookies expect them to secure a third successive away win this weekend – Skybet installing them as their 6/4 favourites.
The pair drew 1-1 at Molineux earlier in the campaign and the likelihood of another draw cannot be discounted; punters who concur can get 11/2 (bet365) against it finishing one apiece, while William Hill chalk 13/5 against the match ending in stalemate.