Play-off scenarios for West Brom, what Albion needs, and their probable opponents

Although it wasn’t supposed to be this dramatic, West Bromwich Albion needs to win this season’s final game in order to guarantee their spot in this month’s Championship play-offs. Although Albion has been working hard for the most of the season and has been in the top six since November, there unfortunately still is a game left when Preston North End comes to The Hawthorns.

Albion is entering the final game of the 46-game season coming off of their worst stretch of play this calendar year, and in fact, since Carlos Corberan joined the team more than 18 months ago. Their worst league loss came last Saturday when they were defeated 3-0 at Sheffield Wednesday.

Considering everything, last weekend’s league loss was also their biggest under his leadership. Not the best timing, really.

Nevertheless, despite the recent setbacks—Albion was the better team in the loss to champions Leicester the week after, and they had actually played well against Sunderland before Brandon Thomas-Asante was sent off—their destiny is still very much in their hands. They will also have the support of a record-breaking Hawthorns crowd. For this Saturday lunchtime kickoff, more tickets have been sold in the Smethwick End.
There aren’t many variations.

Anything else doesn’t matter if Albion completes the task on their own. While a win would obviously be ideal to guarantee their place in the play-offs, their goal differential is valuable on its own. Hull City, the only team that can prevent Albion from accomplishing what they have been on course to accomplish for the whole of the season, is +9 while the Baggies are +20. Hull would need to defeat relegation-threatened Plymouth Argyle by a score of eleven if Albion drew.

The Tigers would pass Corberan’s team if Hull triumphs and Albion is defeated by Preston, who have dropped their last seven games and only managed a single goal in their previous seven games.