West Brom vs Preston prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-12-28 20:00.
Life as West Bromwich Albion manager seems to be getting better and better for Carlos Corberán after he guided his side to a sixth win from his eight games in charge (L2) with a 2-0 win against Bristol City last time out. It’s been a disappointing season for one of the pre-season favourites for promotion, but that victory brought West Brom’s record this Championship season to a symmetrical W8, D8, L8, as they start to slowly creep up the table and into the play-off picture.
Corberán’s next task is to break the Baggies curse of losing their final league game of the calendar year in each of the last three years. The Hawthorns faithful will be fully behind their troops here though as they seek to end 2022 on a high note, and with West Brom winning each of their last three home matches without conceding a goal, that end of year curse could be about to end.
Contrary to their hosts, Preston North End have fallen out of the playoff spots recently by losing each of their last two games and three of their last four (W1), going down 2-1 to basement-dwellers Huddersfield on Boxing Day as Preston fans voiced their discontent at full-time. Manager Ryan Lowe will now be looking for a reaction as his side bid to end the calendar year with a win, something Preston managed in both 2020 and 2021.
Preston’s fortunes are completely inverted when looking at their form away from home, winning three of their last four matches on the road (L1). They’ll be looking to extend that run by capitalising upon recent success against West Brom too, having won the last two league encounters, therefore setting up an opportunity to secure a league double over the Baggies for the first time since 1973/74.
Players to watch: West Brom’s Jed Wallace has scored five of his last six goals before half-time, making him an early threat to add to his tally of three career goals against Preston, for whom Emil Riis has scored the match opener in his last two meetings with West Brom.
Hot stat: Preston have avoided defeat in ten of their 12 Championship games this season when starting as a betting outsider (W8, D2).