Sheffield Wednesday vs West Brom: Betting Odds & Prediction
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Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion collide in a match which will have implications on both ends of the Championship table on Saturday afternoon.
The home side are in dire need of points if they are to avoid relegation to League One, while a West Brom win will cement their place in the play-offs. Kick-off is set for 3pm UK time at Hillsborough.
Recent Form
Sheffield Wednesday
Danny Röhl's side have enjoyed an upturn in form in recent weeks, going unbeaten in their last four matches in the Championship. Two of those four have ended in victory for Wednesday, and the run has seen them climb out of the relegation places to 21st.
Still, only three points separate them and the dreaded drop zone, and with Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City - both of whom occupy the final relegation slots - playing each other on the same afternoon, Wednesday have an opportunity to extend the gap between themselves and at least one of their relgation rivals.
Röhl's men have their home form to thank for ensuring they aren't further down the table; the 1.27 points averaged in their 22 home outings is a significant improvement on the 0.86 they've managed on the road.
Scoring goals has been a major problem for the Owls this term, with an average of just 0.89 scored across the campaign. This does rise slightly to 1.09 in home fixtures though, but Wednesday have still failed to find the net in 32% of games at Hillsborough so far.
Their defensive record has also been far from convincing with 1.55 conceded on average so far. 41 of the 68 goals they've shipped have been in away fixtures, though, with Wednesday averaging just 1.23 conceded at home. Nevertheless, they've still conceded two or more in 32% of home matches.
West Brom
Consecutive defeats to Sunderland and Leicester have threatened to derail the Baggies' play-off push, and Carlos Corberán's side will need to return to winning ways if they are to cement their place among the division's top six.
Unfortunately for Baggies fans, West Brom have struggled for form on the road this season with an average of just 1.18 points across their 22 outings. This compares with 2.09 in home fixtures. However, they were undefeated in their last eight on their travels heading into the Leicester game last time out, though five of these matches ended in a draw.
Corberán's men have had little trouble finding the net with 1.45 goals scored in away games. Only 18% of these have seen West Brom fail to score.
They have conceded much more on the road compared to at the Hawthorns, though; their 1.23 conceded in away games is significantly higher than the 0.77 averaged in home matches.
Prediction
Despite their recent struggles, West Brom enter as favourites due to their higher positioning in the table. While the away side remain the sensible pick in this one, Corberán's men will need to be cautious if they are to avoid a third consecutive defeat in the Championship.