HIGH-FLYING West Brom have yet to taste defeat in the Championship under Valerien Ismael but this trip to resurgent Stoke is a major test of their title credentials.
The Baggies head into this clash top of the table and Ismael has done a fantastic job transforming the side that bowed out of the Premier League without much of a fight under Sam Allardyce.
A run of three successive stalemates threatened to derail West Brom a little but they got back on track with a 2-1 win over QPR in a game where two of my three selected bets came up.
Isamel's side followed that up by battering Cardiff 4-0 on the road but this trip to Stoke should test the Baggies a bit more.
Michael O'Neill's first full season in charge was a little disappointing as Stoke could only finish in 14th but the former Northern Ireland boss now has his team on the up.
Much of that is down to an excellent home record, with Stoke winning six of their games at the Bet365 so far this season and drawing the other.
They head into this match just four points behind the leaders so O'Neill will be seeking the win that can fire his team right back into the mix for automatic promotion.
How the bookies view it
Stoke's excellent home form makes this a tough one to call but O'Neill's side are outsiders with the bookies at a best 23/10 with SBK. The same firm price the Baggies at 7/5 while the stalemate pays 23/10 and shouldn't be ruled out.
Recent head to head
West Brom have edged this fixture of late, winning seven of the last 12 meetings and losing just three. But it was honours even when these sides last faced off in the Championship with the Baggies winning 2-0 at the Bet365 (bel0w) then Stoke getting their revenge with a 1-0 Hawthorns victory.
Players to watch
Mario Vrancic has caught the eye whenever I've seen Stoke this season and scored when they beat Hull 2-0 in their last home game. He's 5/1 with Bet365 for another strike here but the Bosnian is more of a provider with excellent deliveries from corners and free-kicks. So he offers better value for an assist at 7/2 with McBookie.
Karlan Grant has hit scoring form for West Brom, netting three times in his last two games. The big striker is 39/20 with Unibet to grab another goal here.
Anything else catch the eye?
Although Stoke's home form has been superb they haven't been solid at the back, keeping clean sheets in just three of their seven games at the Bet365. West Brom have carried a threat all season so both teams to score should come up, although the odds aren't great at 13/15 with SBK.
It should be a close game and that makes the half-time draw a decent shout at 11/10 with SportNation while a one-goal winning margin for either side is 5/4 with McBookie.
Neither of these sides shirk a tackle so it could be a busy night for the ref. I haven't seen a market for total cards yet but Kyle Bartley (9/4, Bet365) and Leo Ostigard (2/1, McBookie) look decent value to be carded as both have collected three yellows already this term.
This England Championship match between Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion will be played on Oct 1, 2021 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Stoke City vs West Bromwich Albion prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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