Premier League Betting West Brom vs Man City

Rock bottom West Brom is so off-form lately that they harvest very little faith in the sports betting marketplace . They are without a win in 10 Premier League fixtures; their last match saw them soundly beaten as Sunderland pushed four goals past them.

While WBA have been punching below their weight in the sports betting marketplace, Man City, who are six points but only three places above them, have been even worse, especially considering the calibre of their bench, not to mention the fact that they potentially stand to become one of the richest clubs in the history of the league.

There is no ifs or buts about it. The fact is WBA can’t seem to buy a win –even if they tried. City is underperforming something huge. So with neither club playing like winners, handicapping their upcoming collision on Sunday comes down to which side is more desperate for the victory.

Soccer Betting Line:

West Bromwich pk +130 +200 2½ O -105 U -115 1 O -120 U -110 Draw +225

Manchester City pk -150 +135 2½ O -105 U -115 1 O -155 U +125 Draw +225

Match Time: 10:00 AM Eastern Time Sunday December 21, 2008

Venue: The Hawthorns

Soccer Betting Analysis:

West Bromwich +200: The odds makers tip the hosts as the underdogs in this matchup. When the odds makers do not put much stock in a clubs ability to win at home then it is concerning. WBA picked up a point in their last six matches from a draw a fortnight ago against Portsmouth. They are coming off a humiliating loss to Sunderland so their confidence is in tatters. Coach Mowbray was left fuming at his back line that allowed four goals to find the net. They have scored only two goals in their last three matches.

Manchester City +135: Though the odds makers favour City for the away win, they are not without their own troubles. Last week they failed to impress, when they lost at home 1:0 to Everton and dropped to 17th in the table. They are not playing with any spirit and with only one goal scored in their last three fixtures, they are in a crisis. City are dangerously close to the relegation zone. All it takes is for them to put forward a few more poor showings, and they could find themselves just there.

Soccer Betting Verdict: City, by their standards, should be performing better and to return to the winners circle they will need to make massive improvements to their game. Robinho is expected to be back in the line-up and his compatriot, Brazilian forward Jo is likely to start alongside him. Good news for Mark Hughes, who is in the hot seat to turnaround his club’s campaign, and sports bettors hoping for a City resurgence. However, WBA is desperate for renaissance as well and frankly, given the lackadaisical effort City has put forward lately, I am not sure they want the win badly enough. As such, I recommend taking the odds makers bait on this match and go with a home win.

Soccer Free Picks: WBA +200 | Under 2.5 goals -115

Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room