Watford vs West Bromwich Albion Prediction: A close battle on cards for top six

On Monday night, Watford will be hosting West Bromwich Albion in the Championship, which will see Slaven Bilic facing one of his former clubs. Despite Watford being in the sixth position with a two-point lead over West Brom, the visitors have a game in hand before their visit to Vicarage Road.

Watford’s Form

Usually, a Watford manager would be fired if they only win four out of 14 matches in a division lower than the Premier League. However, Bilic has managed to keep his position for now. The team has not won in their last five matches, but they came close to a surprise victory against league leaders Burnley in their last match. Although it ended in a 1-1 draw, some consider it a valuable point that helped keep Watford in the top six. Automatic promotion is unlikely as they are 14 points behind second place, with only the playoffs as a possibility. Bilic's team is just seven points ahead of 16th place, and with several teams below them having games in hand, there is pressure leading up to this match.

Watford’s possible starting lineup

Bachmann; Gaspar, Porteous, Hoedt, Kamara; Kone, Choudhury, Sema; Sarr, Davis, Pedro

West Bromwich Albion’s Form

Despite committing his long-term future to West Brom, Carlos Corberan is currently overseeing the team's worst run of form since his arrival in October. Over their last four outings, they have only collected four points and were denied a win over Blackburn Rovers at The Hawthorns by a late equaliser. This narrow margin between the seventh and 10th highlights the potential for error in the division. Despite being considered a favourite for securing a place in the playoffs, the team has lost their last three away matches in all competitions as they head to Vicarage Road.

West Bromwich Albion’s predicted lineup

Griffiths; Furlong, O'Shea, Pieters, Townsend; Molumby, Yokuslu, Albrighton; Wallace, Dike, Swift

Watford vs West Bromwich Albion expert tips

As kickoff approaches, it seems likely that Watford will have fallen out of the playoffs, making it crucial for them to fight for a spot. Nevertheless, facing West Brom is a formidable challenge for any team in the league, leading us to believe that both sides would be satisfied with a draw if the opportunity arises. Our prediction is a West Brom win, with under 2.5 goals predicted in the match.