How many points West Brom need for a top six finish amid Bristol City and Coventry battle - according to Opta

West Brom’s difficult winless run in the Championship was extended to four matches as they dropped out of the play-off places with a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to fellow promotion hopefuls Sunderland last weekend.

It allowed both Bristol City and Middlesbrough to leapfrog them in the race for top six football and leaves Tony Mowbray’s side in eighth position and with plenty of work to do on the pitch if they are to finally return to the top-flight after a four-year hiatus.

West Brom fans will hope to see an immediate response in tonight’s all all-important clash away to a Bristol City team that have lost just one of their last nine league matches.

The Baggies earned a 2-0 victory when they hosted the Robins back in December, courtesy of a Mikey Johnston double and were good value for that win in the festive period, but a lot has changed since then in the West Midlands, including on the manager front in the dugout after Carlos Corberan’s bombshell mid-season exit to Spanish side Valencia and Mowbray’s return to the club after his spell at rivals Birmingham City towards the end of last term was cut short.

How many points do West Brom need to finish inside the top six?

OPTA Sport predicts that a points tally of 69 will be needed for West Brom to secure a place in the top six of the Championship this season.

This means that West Brom, who currently sit on 57 points, will need to pick up around 12 points from six games to give themselves ample chance of achieving their play-off goal. This equates to around four wins from six games, which only adds to the pressure heading into the trip to face in-form Bristol City.

OPTA has consistently backed Tony Mowbray’s team to secure a place in the play-offs but has recently changed it’s stance, giving the team just a 31.68% chance of finishing inside the top six, with Bristol City and Middlesbrough now sitting firmly in the driving seat, with Coventry also providing strong competition.

Mowbray, however, is more than experienced to know how quickly things can change in the Championship picture and will be determined to lead the Hawthorns club to a second promotion after guiding them to the big time back in 2007/2008 during his first stint in charge.

West Brom’s remaining Championship games

West Brom travel to Ashton Gate to face play-off rivals Bristol City in the first of six massive matches at the top of the Championship table. The Baggies then face 10th placed Watford before taking on another team in and around the play-off hunt in Coventry City on Good Friday.

Tony Mowbray’s men host struggling Derby County and travel to relegation battling Cardiff City at the end of April before ending the season with a home clash against a Luton Town team that are increasingly at risk of suffering back-to-back relegations after a hugely challenging campaign in the second tier.

Read More: Ex-Wolves prodigy to be managed by ex-Aston Villa defender after intriguing career move