West Brom vs Sunderland prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-04-12 14:00.
[p]It’s three years since West Bromwich Albion last played in the Premier League, but they can move a step closer to a return to the top-flight by beating Sunderland here. A 2-0 victory over already-relegated Rotherham on Wednesday gives the Baggies a nine-point cushion in the Championship play-off places ahead of this round, and given their significantly superior goal difference, one more victory may be all that they need to secure a spot in the top six this term.[/p]
[p]The success against the Millers ended a run of three successive draws for Carlos Corberán’s side, who will now be hoping to maintain their momentum as the campaign reaches its climax. They have certainly proved tough to beat in recent months too, losing just once across 14 league outings since the start of February (W7, D6) as promotion becomes a more likely prospect.[/p]
[p]The Black Cats are no mugs themselves though, as high-flying Leeds found out when they were held to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday at Elland Road. That was a rare high in recent months for the North East outfit, who have tumbled dramatically out of the play-off frame following a miserable run of seven defeats from 11 Championship fixtures (W1, D3) that at one point had supporters tentatively looking over their shoulders. [/p]
[p]However, caretaker manager Mike Dodds has instilled some resilience in recent weeks since replacing Michael Beale at least, with the last five matches yielding four clean sheets (W1, D3, L1), including three 0-0 stalemates. History suggests that they might struggle in this game though, as they’ve won only three of their 18 H2Hs against West Brom over the last 15 years (D5, L10).[/p]
[p]Players to watch: After scoring against Rotherham in midweek, Baggies’ top marksman Brandon Thomas-Asante has lost just two of the last 17 games in which he’s hit the back of the net (W10, D5). As for Sunderland, Jack Clarke leads the scoring charts for them, and six of his last seven goals have served as the first or last of the game.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Seven of West Brom’s last nine matches have seen both teams score.[/p]