Bournemouth vs West Bromwich Albion
6th August 1945hrs
Football – England – EFL Championship
Draw
Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 5/2 odds taken 1715 GMT, Wednesday 4 August
On Friday night, Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion kick off the 2021-22 EFL Championship season with a tasty fixture at the Vitality Stadium. Both clubs start the campaign with new managers in the dugout – Scott Parker is the new man in charge of Fulham, while Valerien Ismael has taken over at West Brom. Will we see a winner in Dorset on Friday night? Read on for the latest odds and tips.
Table of Contents
Bournemouth Preview – Can Parker start with three points?
After suffering relegation with Fulham last season, Scott Parker left Craven Cottage to take over at the Vitality Stadium. The Cherries, who reached the play-offs last term, have been tipped to have a successful season under Parker.
Last year, Bournemouth made the top six under Jonathan Woodgate. Despite looking good to reach the Wembley Stadium final at one point, the Cherries lost out to Thomas Frank’s Brentford in the semis. The Dorset club will be hoping to avoid the play-offs altogether this time around and go up automatically.
Bournemouth started their 2021-22 season with an emphatic win in the EFL Cup last weekend. The Cherries ran riot against MK Dons at the Vitality, with David Brooks (2), Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Christian Saydee netting in the 5-0 romp. Can the Cherries follow that up with a huge three points in the league on Friday?
West Bromwich Albion Preview – Albion to leave with a point?
Valerien Ismael did a remarkable job at Barnsley last season. After arriving a month into the campaign, the Frenchman took the Tykes from relegation candidates to the play-offs. They lost out in end, but Ismael earned his move to The Hawthorns as a result.
West Brom’s 2020-21 season ended in heartache as they were relegated from the Premier League after one year in the top flight. The Baggies found Premier League life tough going, but Albion are one of the favourites for promotion this term before a ball has been kicked.
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With back-to-back home matches against Luton Town and Sheffield United to come after this one, West Brom would love to pick up a positive result at the Vitality.
Bournemouth vs West Bromwich Albion Betting Advice
When these two teams last met, the pair were plying their trade in the Premier League. Both sides won the home fixture in the 2017-18 season, with West Brom winning 1-0 at The Hawthorns, and the Cherries securing a 2-1 home victory six months later.
West Brom have not won at the Vitality since a 4-1 League Cup success almost ten years ago to the date. Their last league victory in Dorset came in January 1993.
Key Facts – Bournemouth vs West Bromwich Albion Betting Tip
- This will be the first meeting between the two since a PL affair back in March 2018
- Bournemouth lost out in the Championship semi-finals last term
- West Brom were relegated from the 2020-21 Premier League, picking up just five wins along the way
This is a cracking fixture to start the new Championship season. Both teams are expected to be there of thereabouts in the promotion mix come the end. We are having a tough time splitting the duo, so our money is going on the draw at the top price of 5/2.
David Brooks started his season with an EFL Cup brace last weekend. The Wales international is available at 15/2 to score the opening goal of this fixture.
The best betting odds for Bournemouth vs West Bromwich Albion
Bournemouth to win: 11/8 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at Bet365
West Bromwich Albion to win: 9/5 at Bet365
