West Brom vs Watford prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-03-31 14:00.
[p]Although West Brom start this Easter Monday round seven points inside the play-off places, the fact several of the chasing pack hold a game in hand means they can’t yet sit comfortably. A seven match unbeaten run (W4, D3) has afforded them the luxury of being lodged firmly within the top six, and with four of their remaining seven games this term coming against current bottom-half sides, they seemingly have a favourable run-in. [/p]
[p]One of those sides provide the opposition here in Watford – a side the Baggies are winless against in six attempts (D3, L3). That’s one historical omen working against them here, but they also have a huge one working in their favour in the fact that they’ve won 46 league matches on Easter Monday – only Derby County (50) have ever won more in Football League history![/p]
[p]Watford travel to the Midlands eyeing up a second scalp against a promotion challenger over the Easter period after they held Leeds to a 2-2 draw on Good Friday. That game brought around a familiar sinking feeling for the Hornets, who twice let the lead slip, leaving them with one of the Championship’s worst conversion rates in games in which they have struck first (W9, D7, L3).[/p]
[p]One of those seven draws ironically came in the reverse fixture (2-2), but with only one win from their last eight Easter Monday fixtures (D4, L3), a repeat result may prove the ceiling of their aspirations. Not least because of their wretched recent run in away H2Hs too, with Watford winning just one of their last 11 league visits to The Hawthorns (D5, L5) – a record which should they not improve upon would move them closer to a first bottom-half Championship finish since 2013/14.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: West Brom’s John Swift scored from the spot on Good Friday, with that goal and his one in the reverse both making the scores 1-1. Similarly influential, Emmanuel Dennis has scored in back-to-back games for Watford, leaving him on the brink of scoring in three successive matches for the Hornets for the first time since December 2021. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Watford have led a joint-league low one away league game at half-time this season (HT: D12, L6).[/p]