LEICESTER CITY will be hoping their end-of-season slump doesn't continue into the new campaign as they get back underway with a trip to newly promoted West Brom.
The Foxes looked set for Championship League football before the coronavirus shutdown but wobbled after the Premier League resumption, eventually losing out to Manchester United on the final day.
It effectively all came down to one Bruno Fernandes penalty, with the Old Trafford midfielder bringing up my anytime scorer tip, but finishing fifth was still a good campaign overall for boss Brendan Rodgers (below).
It has been a quiet summer for ins and outs at the King Power, with Ben Chilwell leaving for Chelsea and Timothy Castagne arriving from Atalanta in the only major deals so far.
But the Foxes should still have enough firepower to see off a Baggies side who only just managed to get over the line in their quest for promotion from the Championship.
Slaven Bilic's men suffered some late jitters yet still ended up second as Brentford failed to seize the chance to jump above them. West Brom haven't done much transfer business either, swapping Oli Burke for Sheffield United's Callum Robinson and bringing in winger Grady Diangana from West Ham.
You suspect Bilic will have to bolster his squad significantly before the transfer window closes if the Baggies are to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.
How the bookies view it
Leicester look decent value at evens for a win with Unibet while the draw is a best 11/4 at Betfred. If you think West Brom can start with a win, they are 3/1 with Boylesports.
Recent head to head
The Foxes are unbeaten in their last three games against West Brom and romped to a 4-1 win on their last visit to the Hawthorns in 2018 (below).
The Baggies' last victory in this fixture was a 2-1 victory at the King Power in 2016 and they haven't beaten Leicester at home since a 3-0 triumph in 2010. The last four Hawthorns meetings have all ended in wins for the Foxes.
Team news
Rodgers has major problems in defence with Jonny Evans, Filip Benkovic and Ricardo Pereira missing out while Christian Fuchs and Wes Morgan are doubts. But playmaker James Maddison is back in training and could make the squad.
Kenneth Zohore is still out injured for West Brom while Conor Townsend is a doubt.
Players to watch
Leicester still rely heavily on Jamie Vardy for inspiration and it's hard to look past the veteran in the anytime scorer market. Some firms have the striker at odds-on for a goal but he's 57/50 with Unibet and that's a decent price. Vardy is also a boosted 7/2 with William Hill to net first.
West Brom winger Matheus Pereira has turned his loan from Sporting Lisbon into a permanent move. He's 4/1 with Bet365 for a goal and if you're looking for a bonkers bet, Skybet price Pereira scoring first in a 2-1 or 2-0 Baggies win at 100-1.
Anything else catch the eye?
With Leicester's injury worries in defence I can see goals in this one. Both teams to score pays 8/11 at 888Sport while over 2.5 strikes is 19/20 with BetVictor.
The same firm are offering some specials on VAR and pay 5/2 on the video ref disallowing a goal, which appeals given Vardy's pace can lead to some marginal offside calls.
This English Premier League match between West Brom and Leicester City will be played on Sep 13, 2020 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best West Brom vs Leicester City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
