Free betting tips and match preview: Sky Bet Championship - Huddersfield Town v West Brom
It's a huge game in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday night as Huddersfield welcome West Brom. Tom Carnduff picks out a best bet.
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1pt Matheus Pereira to have 4+ total shots at 21/10
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Huddersfield v West Brom (Sky Sports Football, 17:30 BST)
Brentford's relentless nature since the restart has left West Brom feeling nervous. With the Baggies seeing draws in their last two outings, Brentford now sit just one point behind them.
Huddersfield are battling for survival at the other end of the table with just three points between them and the relegation zone. A point here could well secure their Sky Bet Championship status if those below them slip-up on Saturday.
Danny Cowley's side have drawn three of their last four games and will likely take a similar outcome here given West Brom's promotion aspirations. That's easier said than done though given how the away side are undefeated in their last five outings.
This should be a contest with West Brom on the front foot throughout as they aim to keep their automatic promotion spot heading into the final round of games. Slaven Bilic's men had 18 shots in their last away outing at Blackburn and there is every chance of a repeat here.
With that in mind, Matheus Pereira should be another stand-out performer for West Brom and there is value in the shots market. In particular, Sky Bet's 21/10 on four or more total shots is a price worth backing based on recent showings.
His average for the season stands at 2.65 but that number has shot up in recent weeks. There have been at least four shots in six of the seven games since football returned; the one fixture that fell below had three.
Pereira's influence is clear and the £8million fee that West Brom are paying to secure his services can be seen as a bargain. Eight goals and 16 assists is a phenomenal return as this level.
It seems like Huddersfield will be playing a counter attack style on Friday night. Cowley told his press conference: "West Brom will be looking over their shoulder. They’re a good team who play with creativity and rhythm. They have to come at us but that creates opportunities for us."
Sitting deep will provide opportunities for the away side to get shots away. Combining that with Pereira's recent showings and the price of above 2/1 appears too good to turn down in this contest.
Pereira is 16/5 to score anytime but it's worth sticking with the value available in the shots market. When it comes to the outright market, the Asian Handicap having West Brom at -0.75 indicates that the money is behind a comfortable away win.
There could be nerves on display though and Huddersfield still have a lot to play for. While the league table suggests this could be a game where the Baggies hit the net multiple times, it's set up to be an encounter where the away side secure a narrow yet crucial victory.
Score prediction: Huddersfield 0-1 West Brom (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)
Odds correct at 1500 BST (15/07/20)
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