England Premier League
Saturday 12th December 2020
Kick off at 3pm GMT
Venue: St. James' Park
Match Preview:
Newcastle have not played for two weeks because of a Coronavirus outbreak throughout the squad so they will be well rested ahead of this fixture on Saturday.
The Magpies have failed to put a string of wins together but much like last season are remaining solid enough for the team they have. Their last game ended in an impressive 2-0 win at Crystal Palace and they come into this match in 13th place.
At home inconsistency has followed the club and they have lost 3 of their five matches so far. Their last game here ended in a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea. Overall under Steve Bruce Newcastle are keeping their heads above water but you get the feeling that a few bad games could really see the club struggling.
West Bromwich Albion are in 19th place and have just 1 win this season. Last weekend they lost 5-1 at home against Crystal Palace and yet were in that game up to half time. Slaven Bilic’s team have played some decent football and been unlucky in some games but at the end of the day they simply haven’t been good enough so far and have lost seven of their 11 games.
The sack race will be gearing up soon in the league and Bilic will be amongst the favourites and he will know that the Baggies will have to start picking up points, away to Newcastle that doesn’t seem very realistic. On the road West Brom have picked up 1 point from a possible 15, that draw came at Brighton.
Team News:
Newcastle: Andy Carroll has a calf injury and is a major doubt for this match. Ryan Fraser could be back from a hamstring injury and will be assessed. Dwight Gayle could be back after his long term knee injury and will face a late assessment. Jamaal Lasceeles missed the last game and he will face a late test after his thigh injury. Allan Saint-Maximin has a muscle injury and remains a doubt.
West Brom: Sam Field is out due to a lack of match fitness. Matheus Pereira has a 3 game ban after his red card last weekend. Hal Robson-Kanu has suffered another wrist injury and has been ruled out for at least another week.
Newcastle vs West Brom Head to Head:
The team last met in a league game in 2018 when West Bromwich Albion won 1-0.
The last time the clubs played each other was earlier this year in the FA Cup, West Bromwich Albion were at home although Newcastle won the match 3-2.
Six of the last seven league games have ended in under 2.5 goals.
Newcastle vs West Brom Prediction:
Newcastle will be the favourites to win this match although the prices are very open. That is because of the Magpies inconsistency. They are well rested but this can have a positive effect and a negative one as players muscles can lock up. Although Bruce would have had them in for extra training.
Newcastle need their main players to show up and start earning more points at home. On the face of it this is a very difficult fixture for West Brom to win, it isn’t impossible but it’s becoming rather risky to start backing a team who have won just 1 point on the road this season.
The value on a home win is good enough to back Newcastle, but it may not be an easy game for Steve Bruce’s team. The big question is how hard will West Brom fight for Bilic’s job? Has he lost the dressing room, or are the players behind him? We should find out a little more at the weekend.
Newcastle vs West Brom Betting Tips:
Draw no bet (Newcastle) at 1.72
Under 2.5 goals at 1.66
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