West Brom v Southampton: Baggies appeal as Asian Handicap underdogs

• West Brom strong operators at The Hawthorns

• Southampton fall short when travelling to the top-13

• Baggies appeal as Asian Handicap underdogs

• Read Betfair's new 90 Minute Payout offer here

West Brom 3.02/1 kept the pressure up on their play-off rivals with a 2-0 triumph over Cardiff in midweek. Albion's fifth successive home league success cemented their place in the top-six ahead of the weekend with Mikey Johnston sweeping the ball home in the first minute at the Hawthorns and Andreas Weimann making the points safe on 80 minutes.

Baggies boss Carlos Corberan has been able to rotate his squad thanks to the addition of three January signings. John Swift was left on the bench at Ipswich last Saturday but emerged to net in the 2-2 draw and Weimann did likewise on Tuesday, turning in a cross from fellow substitute Jed Wallace, as the skipper was also afforded a rare breather.

Corberan is pleased to now have selection headaches ahead of Friday's fixture. He said, "The players understand it's a strength we have and must use. It can never be a problem, to have two or three players competing in every position, we have alternatives. I liked the energy and impact we had from the bench against Cardiff, that's important to us."

Southampton 2.466/4 manager Russell Martin admitted his "disappointment" after Bristol City ended Saints' 25-game unbeaten run on Tuesday night. Three second half goals delivered the Robins a 3-1 success with Adam Armstrong bagging a stoppage-time consolation from the penalty spot on a sorry evening at Ashton Gate,

Martin said, "I'm gutted for the players and the fans, who were amazing - right until the very end. The run has come to an end, but I am really proud of the players and the staff. I love the feeling we have at the club. Where it was to where it is now is night and day. It is completely different. One result is not going to change how I feel about that at all."

The Saints chief remained defiant despite the fact Southampton have now conceded three goals in back-to-back fixtures, having previously kept seven clean sheets in their last 13 games. He added, "We can't go from being so solid defensively to conceding six goals in two games - that is madness. We just need to make sure this is just a bump in the road."

Baggies backed to avoid defeat

Only the top two in the Championship - Leicester and Leeds - can better West Brom's home points return. Albion have posted W11-D3-L2 at The Hawthorns with the Baggies boasting the second-best defensive record as hosts, recording nine clean sheets in those 16 matches at their Black Country base. WBA are W4-D0-L1 when welcoming top-half teams.

Southampton suffered their first league defeat since September in midweek and Saints have now managed only a solitary success when travelling to teams inside the top-13 (W1-D4-L3). Include encounters at St Mary's and Russell Martin's men have therefore pocketed only four victories against the same standard of opposition across all venues.

Such numbers make Southampton unappealing 2.466/4 favourites at West Brom on Friday night. Instead, we can support West Brom 0 & +0.5 on the Asian Handicap at 1.865/6, a selection that sees us make money should the Baggies avoid defeat - we'll earn a half-stakes profit should the match end all-square, and a full pay-out if Albion take top honours.

Read more Championship previews and tips here.

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