Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
Someone managed to defeat West Bromwich Albion, and the unexpected hero was Sheffield Wednesday. Now, Middlesbrough have to face a motivated West Bromwich Albion.
West Bromwich Albion
The odds for West Bromwich Albion to win were somewhat high, but they were still considered favourites. However, Sheffield Wednesday proved to be the stronger side. They became the first team to score more than one goal against West Bromwich Albion (3:2). How did it happen? The first goal was a clear deflection, even credited as an own goal; the second went over Alex Palmer's head, and the third was due to the defenders being caught behind the attacker. Now, West Bromwich Albion have two consecutive home matches. They start with Middlesbrough, a team that is hard to predict.
Middlesbrough
Things have become a bit clearer for Middlesbrough. In their last four matches, they have earned seven points, conceded only two goals, and scored five out of eight from the start of the season. The games have been more controlled. Over these four matches, the total under 2.5 was reached each time, and in three out of four, one side failed to score. The latest victory over resilient Stoke City (2:0) brought Middlesbrough closer to the playoff zone. They are just two points behind and can close this gap in the upcoming away match.
West Bromwich Albion vs Middlesbrough Prediction
West Bromwich Albion haven't conceded a single goal at The Hawthorns but have only scored two in three matches. In their head-to-heads with Middlesbrough, they are unbeaten in their last three home games, and the total under 2.5 has been achieved in four out of six encounters. Considering Middlesbrough's recent matches and West Bromwich Albion's cautious play at home, there's a high probability that this will be another low-scoring game, and the hosts will not lose.
