Oxford vs West Brom Prediction: This could be an interesting affair

Oxford United and West Bromwich Albion go to battle at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday (12:30, Sky Sports Main Event) in the EFL Championship. The U's have drawn their last three matches in the second tier, while Albion are winless in their previous three fixtures.

Read on for my Oxford vs West Brom prediction, featuring the latest match odds and team news.

Oxford vs West Brom Odds

Oxford are 11/4 to win this match, which gives them a theoretical chance of 26.7%. West Brom are valued at 1/1 to collect the three points, giving them an implied probability of 50%. The draw is marketed at 12/5 (29.4%).

Both teams to score is on offer at 4/5 and over 2.5 goals can be backed at 10/11.

Josh Maja has scored seven league goals for Albion this season and he is 4/1 to open the scoring on Saturday.

Oxford's Mark Harris has four for himself, and he is 13/5 to score anytime.

Football Odds

Team News

U's boss Des Buckingham remains without the services of Cameron Brannagan, Przemyslaw Placheta, Joe Bennett, Max Woltman and Matt Phillips for this clash due to injury.

After four games without a win, he could freshen things up in attack, with the likes of Siriki Dembele and Dane Scarlett looking to benefit.

For West Brom, striker Daryl Dike remains sidelined with the Achilles injury he picked up in February. Other than that, Carlos Corberan has a fully-fit squad to choose from, which should serve them well for this away trip.

Over 2.5 goals @ 10/11

I must admit that I think a result for this match is a tough one to call. Oxford have started the season much better than anyone could have anticipated following their League 1 play-off final triumph back in May.

Buckingham's side have picked up 12 points from their opening nine matches in the second tier, earning three wins in the process. They have looked sharp going forward, having amassed 13 goals so far.

The U's have seen over 2.5 goals land in five of their nine outings so far, including two of their last four. Their attacker Harris has been on fire in the first couple of months of the campaign, scoring four goals. So he could have a huge impact in the outcome of this selection and the result itself on Saturday.

For the Baggies, they have seen at least three goals scored in four of their nine Championship fixtures this term, but what is more interesting is that all four have been when they have been playing away from home.

Therefore, I think we can see this trend continue at the Kassam Stadium this weekend, as Corberan's side appear to be having more joy on the road. Albion have won three of their four away games thus far, while just two from five at The Hawthorns.

I'm not overly confident they will get back to winning ways here, but I think they can play their part in this game featuring a handful of goals.

Josh Maja anytime goalscorer @ 15/8

Oxford's Harris has been sharp in front of goal, but not as much as Albion's Maja. The striker has been in the form of his life this campaign, scoring seven goals in nine matches.

He is the joint-leading marksman in the division, alongside Norwich City's Borja Sainz, and I feel as though we are at a point where we are just expecting to see his name pop up on the scoresheet.

The former Sunderland and Bordeaux man is finally finding his rhythm after his career stagnated over in France, and it looks like Corberan has been a real asset for him to get back on track. His manager has entrusted him with leading the line with Dike out of action, and Maja has been grasping his chance with both hands.

The forward has gone two games without a goal, so he will be eager to return with a bang after the international break. It's the first time this season that he has gone more than one game without a goal, so I find it hard to see him blacking for a third match in a row.

Offers

Double Delight & Hat-Trick Heaven: Place a pre-match single bet on the first goalscorer market and get DOUBLE or TREBLE the odds if your winning First Goalscorer bet scores a 2nd and 3rd

Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any Premier League or Championship game on Friday or Saturday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on Sunday’s games. (Credited upon Bet Settlement).

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% 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.