Bolton v West Brom Tips: Baggies to see off struggling Trotters?
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Look-ahead and odds for Championship clash
Defeats for Leeds United and Sheffield United on Saturday have given West Bromwich Albion the chance to strike a decisive blow in the promotion push.
That opportunity comes against the Championship’s second-bottom club, Bolton Wanderers. Victory for the Trotters tonight could lift them out of the relegation zone.
Ahead of the big game – live on Sky Sports Football from 7:45pm – we’ve got all the odds and info…
Head-to-Head
Bolton produced the shock result of the opening weekend by winning 2-1 at The Hawthorns, in the pair’s first meeting since 2012.
Draws have tended to be the order of the day when these sides clash. Eight of the last 13 meetings have ended level, including four 1-1 scorelines.
The last time the Baggies won at this ground was back in December 2000, a record they’ll be desperate to fix.
Likely XIs
Continued injuries for Yanic Wildschut and Joe Williams mean limited choice for Phil Parkinson further forward, though their back four virtually picks itself.
Josh Vela is likely to partner Jason Lowe in defensive midfield, behind an advanced trio including Will Buckley, who scored the opener at Bristol City last time out. Up top, Northern Ireland international Josh Magennis is a tried-and-tested target man.
With James Morrison still out, promising youngster Sam Field could start from the off in a midfield trio alongside the ageless Gareth Barry and captain Chris Brunt.
Employing Hal Robson-Kanu as a central striker against Norwich City nine days ago didn’t really pay dividends. He could well be shunted to the left wing to play Dwight Gayle through the middle.
Key Battles
While the Trotters have the best defensive record in the league’s bottom eight teams, one thing they don’t have at the back is pace.
Three of their likely back four are the wrong side of 30-years-old, and could be easy prey for the Baggies’ pacy wide men. That includes not just their wingers, but also the rapid Mason Holgate at right-back.
Magennis opened the scoring in August’s victory for the North-West outfit. His smart movement and aerial threat mean the Baggies can’t afford to switch off on set-pieces.
Match Odds
Ahead of tonight’s clash at the Macron Stadium, West Brom are 5/6 to take revenge and all three points. Meanwhile, it’s 5/2 for the Draw and 15/4 for a Bolton victory.
Each of the last three clashes between these sides have seen both hit the net. We go 3/1 for the Baggies to Win and Both Teams to Score. As for a sixth 2-1 triumph of the season for Darren Moore’s men, that’s 15/2.
Gayle netted the opener against Norwich last time out. He’s 7/2 to be First Goalscorer. And the former Crystal Palace ace also shares top-billing at 11/8 Anytime alongside Rodriguez.
Following a cracking strike at Ashton Gate in Bolton’s last match, Buckley is 4/1 to notch again. As for Magennis, he’s 13/5 to make the net bulge.
Click here for the latest Bolton v West Brom odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
