GEORGE ELEK: Best bets as the League Leaders visit The Hawthorns

It was smashy, it was grabby, but Sheffield Wednesday’s last gasp winner at Derby last Sunday means it’s four winning bets out of six for this column, copping at 21/10, 21/10, 6/1 and 9/2. We are in form, which is maybe more than you can say about West Brom, who have won just one of their last 10.

But hold on, I hear you say, they are also unbeaten in that time?

Yes, this is one of the stranger runs of form I can remember seeing. Baggies have drawn nine of their last 10 games, with five of these being goalless. Considering the blistering start that Carlos Corberan’s side made to the campaign, scoring 12 goals in their first seven games, of which five were wins, the inability to both score goals or win games wasn’t really forecast.

Part of this might be down to a very hot finishing streak from Josh Maja, who scored with four of his first five shots of the season. Winger Tom Fellows was also on fire back in August so, given his youth and inexperience, maybe we shouldn’t be shocked that he was unable to sustain this.

Even so, Corberan is a proven canny operator who has worked absolute wonders at The Hawthorns in what were trying circumstances before the takeover. That a ‘bad run’ is also a ten game unbeaten one speaks volumes for how difficult his teams are to beat, and I would always need a pretty appealing price to oppose them.

At 19/10 it’s easy enough to make a case for league leaders Sheffield United being exactly that.

They’ve only lost two games this season, both to nil, at maybe the two other best teams in the league in Leeds and Middlesbrough. Despite West Brom’s resoluteness, it’s hard to make a case for them being of a similar quality to those two, and in trips to more comparable sides such as Blackburn and Bristol City, Blades have come away with three points in both.

We also have to look at the goal line here, with only one of West Brom’s home games covering the O2.5, and that was a 2-2 draw where all the goals came in the first half. Take that 45 minutes out and fans at The Hawthorns have only seen three goals all season.

Chris Wilder’s success this season has come from ensuring that Sheffield United are well drilled in defence, with 11 of their 12 wins this season coming ‘to nil’. Given Win to Nil Winter is in full flow, I need absolutely no persuading to take the 15/4 about Sheffield United making that 12 from 13 against a side who are both struggling to win and score goals.

With the 0-0 also a big runner we can also take the 17/20 about BTTS no, which would be a double winner of the main bet cops but also gives us a bit of insurance in a game where it’s very difficult to make a case for a goal fest.

1pt Sheffield United to nil @ 15/4

1pt BTTS No @ 17/20