Live on Skysports 2: Sun 16.00: Aston Villa and West Brom are 12/5 with Stan James to divide the spoils in their Premier League derby clash.
It may only have been the Capital One Cup but Wednesday’s 4-2, extra-time victory over Premier League champions Manchester City will have provided Aston Villa with a confidence boost that was much needed in the wake of the 4-1 reverse at Southampton last weekend.
Nevertheless, Paul Lambert’s men still look a slightly risky proposition at 6/4 with Skybet as they prepare to tackle a solid West Brom side in a tough-to-call derby showdown at Villa Park.
The Baggies currently lie in fourth having made an excellent start to the campaign and they’re 2/1 courtesy of BetVictor to grab a fourth win in six outings. However, Steve Clarke’s troops have registered all of their victories on home soil this term and were heavily beaten at Fulham in their last match on the road so they too aren’t exactly a watertight wager.
With doubts surrounding both sides then, it seems logical to take a punt on the draw and as odds of 12/5 are available courtesy of Stan James, the stalemate is hard to overlook.
What could prove to be a scrappy, frenetic derby contest looks destined to produce fewer than three goals, an outcome bet365 chalk up at 19/20 and with that in mind, Ladbrokes’ 6/1 for it to end one-each catches the eye, although a goalless encounter at 10/1 (BetVictor) shouldn’t be ruled out entirely.
Aiming to prevent the latter of course will be Christian Benteke and home fans can back the Villans front man at 7/1 with Stan James to break the deadlock. At the other end, Paddy Power post 7/1 against Romelu Lukaku adding to last weekend’s winner with the first in this one but punters perhaps shouldn’t expect a flood of goals in the opening 45 minutes and indeed a case can be made for bet365’s 2/1, marked against it being 0-0 at the interval.
Recommended Bets:
Aston Villa and West Brom to draw 1-1 – 6/1 (Ladbrokes)
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