West Brom vs Oxford predictions: Baggies to bounce back
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- West Brom occupy the sixth and final play-off spot
- Oxford have drawn their last two games with West Brom 1-1
- Recommended bet: West Brom to win to nil
West Brom will hope to get their Championship play-off push back on track on Saturday when they entertain Oxford at The Hawthorns.
The Baggies were held to a 1-1 draw by Millwall last time out and they could start Saturday's game outside the play-offs if results go against them on Friday evening.
Oxford are nine points above the bottom three but cannot afford to rest on their laurels after a poor run of form.
Team news
West Brom centre-back Kyle Bartley will serve the final game of his three-match suspension on Saturday, while midfielder Jed Wallace will miss the clash with a leg injury.
Striker Daryl Dike returned from injury against Millwall but may have to settle for a place on the bench as manager Tony Mowbray manages his minutes.
Oxford pair Greg Leigh and Elliott Moore are both in the treatment room with muscle and groin injuries, while striker Tom Bradshaw will miss the rest of the season with a knee issue.
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The stats
West Brom are winless in two in the second tier, but they have only lost twice at home all season in 16 games, although one of those defeats did come against Blackburn last time out.
Oxford are winless in five in the Championship, but they have picked up three draws during that time.
The U's have failed to score in four of their last five games, while they have not troubled the scoresheet in three consecutive away matches.
Prediction
West Brom's defeat to Blackburn came as a surprise, especially with Rovers losing manager John Eustace on the eve of the game to Derby.
Mowbray will expect his team to hit the ground running from the first whistle and they are usually so tough to break down in front of their own fans.
In Oxford, they face a team that has won just once on their travels since returning to the Championship, while they have also scored a meagre 10 away goals.
Only Plymouth have scored fewer goals than Oxford on the road, so Saturday's game looks like a great opportunity for West Brom to get back to winning ways and restore some confidence at the back.
The Baggies face Leeds and Burnley in the next few weeks, so a big win against Oxford could help them cement their play-off spot ahead of a crucial period of the season.
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