The floodlights of The Hawthorns beckon as two Championship heavyweights prepare to lock horns this Thursday evening. West Brom's recent stumbles meet Burnley's wavering form in what should be an interesting clash.
But with both sides desperate to rediscover their winning touch, how will this game go?
How the bookies view it: West Brom favourites right now
You might raise an eyebrow at the betting odds, but the home side's slight favouritism at 5/4 tells its own story. Despite their seven-game winless run, West Brom's sixth-place standing has kept the bookmakers' faith, while Burnley's road struggles see them drift to 9/4. These odds paint a picture of two teams searching for identity – one has forgotten how to win, the other can barely score.
Head-to-head: Stalemates galore but Burnley with an edge
The ghosts of matches past haunt the Baggies when facing the Clarets. Burnley's five-game unbeaten streak against their Black Country rivals includes last January's gut-punch at Turf Moor – where Scott Twine's last-gasp free-kick sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory. Yet, results don’t lie, and from the last five encounters, Burnley have two wins over West Brom while the other three have all been draws.
Players to watch: Josh Maja and Josh Brownhill
Josh Maja's boots have been smoking lately, with eight strikes already tucking nicely into his season's collection. The striker's latest goal came at Kenilworth Road last time out. Therefore, he might just be the key to unlocking West Brom's scoring drought and helping them turn the screws against Burnley.
As for Burnley's camp, Josh Brownhill stands tall as their beacon of hope. Five goals from midfield have kept the Clarets' flame flickering, though recent performances suggest even his spark needs rekindling.
Either way, if you fancy backing these lads to score on Thursday, you can snap up Maja at 5/2 or Brownhill at 15/2 in the ‘anytime scorer’ markets.
Predicted lineups
West Brom face significant defensive challenges right now with Kyle Bartley (knee), Semi Ajayi (leg), and Paddy McNair (hamstring) all sidelined. Subsequently, the home side will need to adapt their defensive lineup to contain Burnley.
Then again, Burnley's attacking options are severely limited, with Lyle Foster, Nathan Redmond, Manuel Benson, and Mike Tresor all unavailable through various injuries. This has contributed to their recent goal-scoring difficulties, understandably.
West Brom possible starting lineup:
Palmer; Furlong, Holgate, Heggem, Styles; Molumby, Mowatt, Fellows, Swift, Grant; Maja
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Roberts, Egan-Riley, Esteve, Humphreys; Brownhill, Cullen, Koleosho, Sarmiento, Anthony; Rodriguez
Anything else catch the eye?
The Hawthorns has anything but a fortress this term, with just two home wins from six fixtures, leaving the faithful restless. And with Burnley taking three wins from seven road games, it’s looking like an uphill battle for West Brom.
Meanwhile, both sides share a curious symmetry in their scoring woes – West Brom drawing blanks in four of their last six, while Burnley's last two outings have seen them fire nothing but blanks.
Even before that, they only managed one goal against Hull, so they really must pull their socks up against the big boys of the league!
This England Championship match between West Brom and Burnley will be played on Nov 7, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best West Brom vs Burnley prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
