West Brom vs Everton Betting Pick | English Premier

English Premier

2011-05-14 - West Brom vs Everton

A Sports Betting Pick by Auls

West Brom v Everton
Football : English Premier League
Saturday 14 May 2011 - Kickoff 12:45pm

West Brom

Many of the fans that have followed West Brom through the years would have been particularly unhappy with the lack of a performance against Wolves in the Black Country Derby last weekend. While the team is safe in the Premier League, the fans would have expected more in a game where local bragging rights are contested, as well as the chance to leave their rivals in dire straits.

It was the arrival of Roy Hodgson a couple of months ago that changed the fortunes of the West Brom team that looked to be heading back to the Championship after promotion last season. Hodgson has guided the team up to 13th in the Premier League and Premier League football has been confirmed for another season. West Brom are 7-6-5 at home this season, scoring 29 goals but conceding 30.

A win over Aston Villa in their last game at the Hawthornes has seen the team extend their run to just 1 defeat in 8 home games. Goals have been free flowing in these games at home, at both ends, at that is something Roy Hodgson plans on rectifying in the Summer.

Steven Reid and Chris Brunt have returned from injury for this game. Paul Scharner is also available after serving a 1 game ban at Wolves last Sunday.

Everton

After another poor start to the season, Everton are doing what they usually do under David Moyes and that is fly towards the finish from the turn of the new calender year. It has come too late to salvage a European place for next season, but once again testifies to the magnificent job being done by Moyes under strict financial conditions at Goodison Park.

Everton are 7th in the Premier League table and look set to finish there this season as they are 5 points behind 6th placed Spurs, and 5 points ahead of 8th placed Bolton. The Toffees are 4-8-6 away from home this season, scoring 20 goals and conceding 21.

The team have been contending with a number of injuries to key personnel all season, but that has not stopped them losing just 1 of their last 10 League games, that coming in the 83rd minute at Manchester United. Everton have failed to win either of their last 2 away games after back to back wins at Newcastle and Wolves. However, their come from behind win over Manchester City last week shows this side is not quite ready for their Summer holidays just yet.

Louis Saha and Marouane Fellaini are both absent for this game but there are no new injury worries since last weekend. Tim Cahill is likely to remain on the bench as Everton slowly bring him back up to fitness.

Head to Head

Everton did the double over West Brom in 2008/09, the last League season the Baggies enjoyed in the Premier League, but those are their only 2 victories in the last 6 meetings between the sides.

West Brom beat Everton 1-4 at Goodison Park earlier this season.

The teams have met 4 times in recent seasons at the Hawthornes, both winning 2 of the games.

Prediction

This is the least interesting game of the Saturday fixtures in the League and Cup in terms of what it means in the grand scheme of things, but that doesn't mean we cant find a potential angle to profit from the game.

West Brom have been conceding goals for fun all season, keeping 1 clean sheet from 36 League games, while 11 of their last 12 League games at the Hawthornes have seen at least 3 goals scored. The Baggies showed more of their defensive deficiencies last week at Wolves and it is a real issue that Hodgson will look to address in the Summer.

Everton have been in good form of late as shown by 1 defeat in 10 League games. They look like they are still trying to finish the season in the best possible manner and showed a lot of heart in coming from a goal behind to beat Manchester City last week.

While Everton have not been so good away from home this season, they have scored goals and are bound to get some more chances here. With both sides capable of scoring, this looks a good game where both managers can allow their players freedom to express themselves with nothing on the line.

Overs has been the profitable bet from games at the Hawthornes in recent weeks, and I will go to the well one more time and pick goals again at a decent looking 1.9

The Statistics :

WBA LAST SIX HOME FORM
	DATE	RESULT		OPPOSITION
	2011-04-30	W	2-1	H v Aston_Villa
	2011-04-16	L	1-3	H v Chelsea
	2011-04-02	W	2-1	H v Liverpool
	2011-03-19	D	2-2	H v Arsenal
	2011-02-20	D	1-1	H v Wolves
	2011-02-12	D	3-3	H v West_Ham

EVERTON LAST SIX AWAY FORM
	DATE	RESULT		OPPOSITION
	2011-04-30	D	1-1	A v Wigan
	2011-04-23	L	1-0	A v Man_Utd
	2011-04-09	W	0-3	A v Wolves
	2011-03-05	W	1-2	A v Newcastle
	2011-02-13	L	2-0	A v Bolton
	2011-02-01	L	2-1	A v Arsenal