Stoke City vs. West Brom: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Stoke have been a hot and cold team for a number of years now which makes them exceptionally tough to predict. The last two head-to-head games between these two have been draws, and Stoke were very strong at home at the back end of last season - and in their first home game this season. It is, though, hard to back them confidently against one of the league's better sides given how inconsistent they are.

Baggies striker Josh Maja was quiet at the weekend but bagged a hat-trick on the opening weekend so he'll be looking to get back on the scoresheet here. Stoke midfielder Josh Laurent has both committed the most fouls (4) in the Stoke side and picked up the most bookings (2) in the first two league games, so he feels a good shout for a booking.

Ultimately, with this game taking place on Stoke's home turf, we think this game is a good bet for a draw. Stoke have been tricky to beat at home since Steven Schumacher took charge of the team but West Brom are tough to beat altogether, so a share of the spoils looks on the cards in our eyes. Stoke 1-1 West Brom.

Play-off hopefuls West Bromwich Albion take on Stoke City away from home this weekend in what could be a tricky encounter.

• Date: 24/08/2024
• Kick-off time: 15:00
• Location: bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke City currently sit 13th in the Championship with three points from their first two games. The Potters have endured a frustrating few seasons in the Championship, struggling to make significant headway in the division despite notable squad investment and a perpetual expectation that they will at least contend for the play-offs.

Last season saw Stoke slump to a 17th-place finish, but after ending the season quite strongly in terms of results there was hope that the Potters were embarking on what would be a gradual progression, particularly given they’d appointed a new manager, Stephen Schumacher, midway through the campaign.

Schumacher now has a full preseason behind him at the club and Stoke did some solid business over the summer, so there’s an expectation that there will be a notable improvement this time out, even if they’re likely short of the requisite quality to make the play-offs.

Stoke have, though, made a mixed start to this season, but results at this stage of the season don’t matter too much; it’s far more important that the team at least lay the foundations for further progression as the season goes on.

West Brom currently sit 4th in the Championship with four points from two games. It’s been a decent start to the campaign for the Baggies who come into the season amidst an air of reserved optimism. West Brom finished 5th last season but were comfortably beaten by Southampton in the play-offs, and while there was plenty of belief amongst the fan base coming into the campaign that they could once again make a run at the top six, the club’s inability to significantly back manager Carlos Corberán in the transfer market really puts a hard cap on their ceiling.

The Baggies have a solid team with a top-quality winger in the shape of Tom Fellows, but the rest of the squad is lacking in the kind of X-factor needed to emerge from this division.

Still, Corberán is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, managers in this division so it’s not out of the question that he guides the club back to the Premier League this season.

It'll be tough, though, because while West Brom's start has been positive on the whole with many of their strengths on full display, some of the squad's limitations have also been laid bare, highlighting how difficult it’ll be for them to be as consistent as some of the more quality-laden teams in the league.

The Baggies have marginally had the better of the recent head-to-head meetings between these two, winning two of the last five while Stoke have won only one. Both of the last two encounters have ended in a draw, though.

This game will not be televised live to U.K. audiences but radio coverage will be provided by BBC Radio Stoke and BBC Radio West Midlands.

Stoke Team News:

The Potters will once again come into this game without the services of new signing Sam Gallagher and defender Michael Rose, both of whom are nursing injuries. Niall Ennis is also a doubt after missing out at the weekend.

Changes are very much expected after the weekend's result, with Korean forward Bae Jun-ho looking for his first start of the season.

Predicted lineup: Johansson; Tchamadeu, Wilmot, Gibson, Bocat; Laurent, Thompson; Manhoef, Burger, Jun-ho; Mmaee.

West Brom Team News:

The Baggies can boast a fully fit squad coming into this game and could make a couple of alterations to the forward line.

Grady Diangana, Jed Wallace and Lewis Dobbin will all be pushing for a start, with Karl Ahearne-Grant and Jon Swift both at risk of losing their spots.

Predicted lineup: Palmer; Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, Heggem; Molumby, Mowatt; Fellows, Diangana, Wallace; Maja.

Stoke City kicked off their campaign with one of the shocks of the opening weekend as they beat Coventry City 1-0. The Potters weren’t heavily fancied to get much against Coventry, more owing to the fact that Coventry are widely regarded as an automatic promotion contender than Stoke being poor, but Schumacher’s men pulled off a fine upset, with substitute Lewis Baker sealing the points late on.

The game was a tight encounter with neither side creating many clear-cut chances. Stoke managed only 41% of the possession but registered 11 shots to Coventry’s 2.

The Potters followed that game up with a comfortable 2-0 win away at Carlisle United where a number of the Potters’ top-class young core, stemming from the club’s academy, produced impressive performances, with two of them getting on the scoresheet: centre-back Freddie Anderson and striker Emre Tezgel.

The Staffordshire-based club were, however, given a fairly sobering beating at the weekend as they fell to a thumping 3-0 loss away at Watford. It was a pretty dominant performance by the Hornets and Stoke can have few complaints, with Watford recording 24 shots to Stoke’s 7.

West Brom faced a difficult opening weekend trip to London to face Queens Park Rangers. QPR were strongly tipped to be a menacing team this season after such a strong end to last season under manager Martí Cifuentes, and while that may still be the case, West Brom dealt with them commendably, with striker Josh Maja netting a hat-trick to secure a 3-1 win.

The first half produced an even contest but in the second half, the Baggies really turned the screw and emerged from the game deserved winners.

Corberán made a host of changes in midweek as West Brom travelled north to take on League Two side Fleetwood Town in the EFL Cup. In what was a game they’ll quickly want to forget, West Brom fell to a 2-1 defeat, highlighting the lack of depth in the squad.

The Baggies welcomed Leeds United to The Hawthorns at the weekend hoping to make up for such a shoddy showing in midweek, and while their performance was no doubt improved, West Brom could only manage a 0-0 draw in what was a very low-quality game.

Leeds are regarded as one of the favourites for promotion this season but have had a very poor start to the campaign, so while they’re no pushovers it’s a game West Brom will have wanted to take more from. It wasn’t to be though, as Corberán’s men struggled to break down a dogged Leeds side, again displaying the lack of game-breaking talent at their disposal.

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