West Brom VS Aston Villa betting preview

West Brom have been a force this season however they are looking to record their first win in six as they host Aston Villa at the Hawthorns. The Baggies were knocked out of the FA Cup in midweek by Queens Park Rangers, and will be looking for their fine early season form. On the other hand, Villa slipped into the relegation zone after losing 1-0 to fellow strugglers, Southampton. Grab a free bet for this match here

West Brom – 7^th

Other clubs have had interest in defender Jonas Olsson and forward, Peter Odemwingie; however manager Steve Clarke believes no one will be leaving or joining the club. After a bad run of form, the Baggies could use this game against a struggling Aston Villa to start a run which saw them climb as high as third in the Premier League this season.

Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku is a player to watch. He scored twice in West Brom’s 3-2 defeat to Reading and could have had more goals as he hit the woodwork and looked dangerous in the air. Steve Clarke does have an array of forwards at his disposal. Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie have played roles this season and although the later is linked to QPR, the Nigerian is still part of Clarke’s short term plans.

Aston Villa – 18^th

This young team lost by a solitary penalty goal last weekend against Southampton. After conceding a lot of goals against Chelsea and Spurs, a 1-0 defeat is a certain improvement however the points are not coming for Paul Lambert’s men. Darren Bent scored the Villa’s only goal of this fixture earlier on in the season but is out of contention following a knee injury.

Christian Benteke drew a lot of attention after a strong performance away at Liverpool. Since then his form and his teams have dropped and if Villa are to start picking up points, they will need a striker to step up. So far the young Belgian has been preferred to Darren Bent but time will tell how long Lambert will persist with youth.

Although Villa have conceded a record 42 goals so far this season, they have also lacked goals upfront. Benteke has 9 and Weimann has contributed with 8, but at times they haven’t been clinical in front of goal. This team may be young but experience may be required to keep Villa in the Premier League.

Betting tips

West Brom to win 3-1, 12/1 on Totesport,

Lukaku to score a hat-trick, 20/1 on William Hill,

Benteke, first team goalscorer, 4/1 on SkyBet.

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Written by Kelvin Morgan

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