Luton vs West Brom prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-01-13 15:00.
A 1-1 FA Cup draw against Wigan saw Luton manager Rob Edwards remark that his side “paid for a slow start”, but they aren’t lagging in the Championship after putting together a three-game win streak which has propelled them to the fringes of the play-offs. Luton’s 2-1 triumph over Huddersfield in their last Championship outing marked the latest of that trio of wins which have all arrived in Edwards’ first four Championship games in charge (L1).
That’s as many as Luton managed in their previous eight, and with Edwards’ side also unbeaten in their last nine home games (W3, D6), you wouldn’t bet against them finding another result here. An in-form West Bromwich Albion stand in their way of extending that home run though, a side who are just a point behind Luton in the standings, which makes this a mouthwatering contest in the race for promotion.
West Brom represent an ominous visitor as they are also on a three-game winning Championship run after beating Reading 1-0 in the last round. An impressive resurgence under new management has propelled them into the promotion race after they won just one of their opening 13 games, having now triumphed in eight of ten Championship contests since Carlos Corberán took over (L2).
Corberán’s exploits haven’t gone unnoticed either, with West Ham reportedly interested in bringing him to London should they wield the axe on David Moyes. His managerial recipe seems to contain more than a sprinkle of defensive resilience, displayed by West Brom’s seven league shutouts since he took charge, and with only second-placed Sheffield United (11) conceding fewer goals than the Baggies’ 12 on their league travels ahead of this round, we can perhaps expect more of the same.
Players to watch: Luton’s Harry Cornick netted his first goal of the season last time out, and has scored twice in four Championship appearances against the Baggies, though never on the winning side (D1, L3). Since his return from long-term injury, West Brom’s Daryl Dike has scored both his goals with his head and scored either side of half-time on his only ever prior appearance against Luton.
Hot stat: Luton have scored beyond the 80th minute in four of their last five Championship outings.