West Brom v West Ham Prediction 16th December 2012

West Brom v West Ham Betting Preview
Have the wheels come off the great season that West Brom were having? The Baggies have slid to three straight defeats in a row now but are still in the race to make a case for a European place next season. They need to arrest their bleeding though and will be targetting a good win over the Hammers. Big Sam Allardyce has seen his side slide to three defeats in the last four matches, so they need to pick up their form as well. A win for the visitors would taken them to within a point of the Baggies.

West Brom v West Ham Betting Odds at online bookmaker BetFred
West Brom Evens, Draw 5/2, West Ham 11/4

West Brom v West Ham Recommended Bet:
It may be a job of containment for both of these sides here and point for each may not be out of the question. The last two matches between the two sides have produced high scoring games at the Hawthorns. There was a 3-3 last term and then a 3-2 win for the Baggies the time before that. The problem for the Baggies is that their goals have dried up. They were on a purple patch which has turned sour over the last three matches. Steve Clarke’s men have scored just one goal in their last three matches, losing against Swansea, Stoke and Arsenal. Still, you have to look at the overall record of West Brom at the Hawthorns this season where they have produced six wins and two defeats. So still pretty strong and they have conceded at a rate of well under a goal per game on home soil in the Premier League this season, picking up clean sheets in four of their eight so far. They have kept seven clean sheets in their last 12 home Premier League matches. The Baggies have rescued just one point from losing positions this season, and with their last three matches against the Hammers all ending in draws, you would imagine that they are good enough to get a point out of this one.

West Ham haven’t been great on the road as they have won only two of their last thirteen on the road in the Premier League, losing eight in that run. They have managed to net five away goals in their seven Premier League matches this season as well, so you don’t see them running up a big scoreline. If they are going to get anything out of this then it going to be by a narrow margin and they will scrap and work hard for it. They will be a threat from set pieces though and with the Baggies keeping just one clean sheet in their last eleven matches West Ham could get something here. The Hammers have actually had a rough run of games lately, facing Spurs, Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool all in a row, so their results have to be put into context. Before that tough run of games, they have gone three unbeaten and they did beat Chelsea at the start of December. The Hammers will scrap all the way and this could be a massive midfield battle for supremacy. The Hammers have only scored at a rate of 0.7 goals per game on the road, which isn’t good, but the Baggies are vulnerable at the moment and there could be a valuable point on offer. May just be worth backing an outright draw for this one at 5/2 with online bookmaker BetFred.

Form
West Brom WWWLLL, West Ham WDLLWL

Stat Attack
The Baggies have just one clean sheet in their last 11
There have been three penalties in the last four EPL meetings between the two
The Hammers have won just two of their last 13 away matches in the Premier League
The last three meetings have all ended in draws
The Baggies have 7 clean sheets in their 12 home matches, just one in the last five though

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