West Brom Championship Odds: Keeping hold of Corberan key to Albion’s success this season

West Bromwich Albion head coach Carlos Corberan experienced an encouraging first full season as Baggies boss, taking the West Midlands club to the 2023/24 Championship play-offs after a fourth-placed finish. They came unstuck in the semi-finals as Southampton outclassed them on their way to the Premier League but having been taken over by new ownership earlier in the year, it felt like the start of something special at The Hawthorns.

However, a cloud has been cast over the club just a week before the new season kick-off, with the Baggies reportedly placed under an EFL-imposed business plan which will limit their transfer activity in this window. Are Albion's promotion hopes over before the campaign has even started? Below you can find the West Brom Championship odds and a season preview and prediction on how they will fare this term.

Last Season: 4th

Top Scorer: Brandon Thomas-Asante (11)

Transfers In: Torbjorn Heggem - Brommapojkarna (£514k), Ousmane Diakite - TSV Hartberg (free), Devante Cole - Barnsley (free), Joe Wildsmith - Derby County (free), Paddy McNair - San Diego (loan)

Transfers Out: Brandon Thomas-Asante - Coventry City (£2.5m), Okay Yokuslu - Trabzonspor (£1.4m), Conor Townsend - Ipswich (£505k), Cedric Kipre - Stade Reims (free), Nathaniel Chalobah - Sheffield Wednesday (free), Matt Phillips - Oxford United (free), Ethan Ingram - Dundee FC (free), Josh Griffiths - Bristol Rovers (loan), Yann M'Vila - Unattached, Martin Kelly - Unattached, Erik Pieters - Unattached, Adam Reach - Unattached

First Game: Queens Park Rangers (A)

Prediction: 6th

Championship Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Championship Odds page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices.

It's been another tumultuous transfer window for West Brom who have had to wheel and deal in the market. After not spending a penny last summer, Albion have only bought one player - 25-year-old Norwegian defender Torbjorn Heggen - for a fee so far, and while not yet confirmed by the club, reports of being further limited for the rest of the month don't exactly inspire confidence.

The departure of last season's top scorer Brandon Thomas-Asante, and the exits of first-team regulars Conor Townsend and Okay Yokuslu, add to the angst of the Albion supporters.

Five defeats in six pre-season friendlies - the latest a 4-1 defeat to League 1 Birmingham City - isn't exactly encouraging, either.

Baggies' belief for this season stems from Corberan, who has forged a reputation as one of the most tactically astute managers in the division. The Spaniard has been continually linked with a move away from The Hawthorns, with Premier League clubs mooted, but has remained loyal thus far.

West Brom will need the 41-year-old to continue working wonders if they are to finish in the top six again and reach the play-offs, where they will hope to go at least one better than last season's semi-final exit.

The encouraging aspect is that, aside from two or three clubs, this year's Championship is an open field, and despite a weakened squad and their off-field issues, Corberan will back himself and Albion to outwit all the other sides they are on par with.

Football Odds

West Brom won't be lacking for experienced heads again this year, with Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi, Darnell Furlong, Jed Wallace, Alex Mowatt and John Swift all well-versed in the complexities of the Championship.

Wallace (six) and Swift (nine) scored 15 between them in the league last term and with Grady Diangana also chipping in with seven - as well as eight assists - there is real firepower and creativity from wide and central positions.

Meanwhile, only champions Leicester City (41) and beaten play-off finalists Leeds United (43) conceded fewer times in the Championship than West Brom (47) last season, and after adding Heggem to the central defensive mix this summer, Corberan will be eyeing up another strong defensive record.

However, the biggest issue for Albion appears to lie in attack, where Daryl Dike remains injured. The 24-year-old American has spent the best part of the last two-and-a-half years on the sidelines and can not be relied upon to play a significant role for the Baggies this season.

Josh Maja is expected to lead the line when West Brom kick off their campaign at Loftus Road on Saturday, but the 25-year-old Nigerian only managed 12 appearances himself last season due to injury.

Karlan Grant and Devante Cole are other options across the forward line but the former is off the back of a season-long loan spell at Cardiff City where he struck just six times in 39 games, while the latter, coming off the back of an 18-goal campaign in League 1, hasn't struck in the Championship for nearly three years.

The biggest attraction of Albion is undoubtedly Corberan, whose stock will continue to rise if he leads Albion to the upper echelons of the Championship again this term. You wouldn't back against him doing so, despite the issues surrounding the club, but whether he sees the season out, given likely interest from him elsewhere, remains to be seen.

With him spearheading the side, a top-six spot isn't out of the question, but a Corberan-less Albion would suddenly look significantly weaker.

Offers

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 50% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.