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Back to business as West Brom face Birmingham City on Friday night to mark the official resumption of England’s top two tiers – and it’s a huge derby! Well…
The Hawthorns and St Andrew’s are are just five mile apart as the crow flies, but both sides have stronger rivalries with other teams. For West Brom it’s all about Wolves and Villa happily play the role of The Blues’ arch enemy. But with each side’s rivals outperforming them in the league above, this is a big game for both this season.
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The latest football odds are on PaddyPower.com right nowSo, to the eternal battle to get out of the Championship and into the Premier League. West Brom are going nicely and are 2nd after 11 games, three points behind Bournemouth who top the second tier. City are down in 16th, just four clear of the drop zone.
The Blues started the season quite well but haven’t won for five games and Lee Bowyer’s men were very much on the slide before the international break. Have they managed to pull themselves together over the last 13 days? Let’s try and work it out through the medium of a Bet Builder.
*These selections in a Bet Builder pays at around 22/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Friday 8pm: West Brom v Birmingham City
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West Brom to Win
Improve they may, but it shouldn’t be enough to stop West Brom winning. The Baggies did lose last time out against Stoke but The Potters are upwardly mobile and sit 4th so there’s no shame there.
As mentioned, City are in a slump and have only picked up a solitary point from the last 15 available, the 0-0 home draw with Preston back in September. West Brom have only dropped four points at home this term while City have lost their last two on the road. We have to be on the West Brom Win here.
Under 2.5 Goals
West Brom started the season all guns blazing with goals flying in at both ends but they’ve reined it in recently, especially at the back. That’s not the case for The Blues who have shipped 12 in the last five.
Equally as worrying for them, Bowyer’s boys have failed to net in their last four Championship matches. I suspect they’ll come out here in much better shape defensively, having had a couple of weeks to tighten up. West Brom can be a bit hit and miss going forward but with City looking to steady this ship I think we’re well on for Under 2.5 Goals.
Callum Robinson to have 2 or More Shots on Target
I’m expecting plenty of Baggies pressure though and it’s worth siding with a man who’s bang in form, no other than CR7 himself, Callum Robinson. He’s had two more shots than West Brom’s top scorer, Karlan Grant, in a game fewer.
He’s only a goal behind his team mate on three and he already has three assists to his name. Fresh off Ireland’s thumping 4-0 demolition is Qatar and his confidence-boosting hat-trick, Callum Robinson to Have 2 or More Shots on Target is an attractive price.
Under 3.5 Cards
Despite this being a local derby, I don’t think it’s going to be a feisty affair. Neither side has a particularly bad disciplinary record over the last five games, though Birmingham City have picked up a red in that timeframe.
West Brom have had just five cards in their last five, an average of (well done if you got it without using a calculator as well) one per game. City have had six cards in their last five, with one of those being an early bath for Gary Gardner.
Over their last 10 games combined, they’ve only picked up more than one booking in the same match on two occasions, once each, so I think Under 3.5 Cards is a great way to round us off here and hopefully pocket some cash to kick off the weekend. Welcome back The Best League In The World™, how we’ve missed you.
West Brom v Birmingham Bet Builder
West Brom to Win
Under 2.5 Goals
Callum Robinson to have 2 or More Shots on Target
Under 3.5 Cards
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