Watford vs Stoke City Prediction, Betting Tips, Preview

On Saturday afternoon, two teams that have made perfect starts to the new campaign will go head-to-head at Vicarage Road as Watford play host to Stoke City.

Not only did both win last weekend, but both got the job done in the EFL Cup during the week, so we should see two confident bunches on Saturday afternoon. Read on for our Watford vs Stoke City predictions.

Watford vs Stoke City prediction

For the Watford vs Stoke City match prediction, we believe the final score will be a 2-1 win for Watford based on our analysis.

Both teams have made strong starts, but the way in which the Hornets have attacked has left a very positive impression, so much so that it would be little surprise to see them outscore a Stoke City side that didn’t do too much offensively last weekend, despite winning.

Our predictions and tips for Watford vs Stoke City are as follows:

Watford to Score Over 1.5 Goals @ 6/4 with bet365
Ryan Porteous to be Booked @ 12/5 with bet365

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Watford vs Stoke City betting odds

The table below illustrates the early odds implying that the hosts have a 38.5% chance of winning this game, while it also shows our adjusted probabilities for all three outcomes.

Bet	Odds	Implied Probability	Our adjusted probability	Difference
Watford	8/5	38.5%	42.1%	+3.6%
Stoke City	7/4	36.4%	29.4%	-7.0%
Draw	9/4	30.8%	28.6%	-1.8%

Watford vs Stoke City head-to-head statistics

When the teams last met, back in late December 2023, they drew 1-1 at Vicarage Road. Prior to that, Stoke City won by a goal to nil at bet365 Stadium.

Watford vs Stoke City preview

This match will be played on 17/08/2024 at Vicarage Road. Kick off will be at 15:00 GMT.

They had to work hard for that opening-weekend win against Millwall, but work hard they did. They also played some excellent attacking football. The Hornets created a very positive impression on match-day one, suggesting that they'll score their fair share of goals this term.

The team still managed (temporarily) by Tom Cleverley, who took over back in March when Valerien Ismael was dismissed, looked good going forward, with Giorgi Chakvetadze looking particularly useful.

The Georgian, who performed well at the Euros in the summer, looks set to be a big player for the men in yellow this term, as does Mileta Rajovic, who having scored ten goals last term, came off the bench to score the winner.

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In the week, they continued to perform well offensively, scoring five against League Two’s MK Dons, with Tom Ince impressing by notching a hat-trick, showing that he’s still an option for the team looking to improve on last season’s 15th place finish.

As for Stoke City, well, Saturday’s visitors ground out the win last weekend, courtesy of a Lewis Baker strike, which came in the 78th minute, only two minutes after the Englishman had been introduced from the bench.

That opening day win, narrow as it was, was a rather sturdy one as the Potters were the better team, especially in the final third, though that was arguably because their opponents created very little.

After beating Coventry, Steven Schumacher’s men continued to build momentum by delivering what can be described as a relatively comfortable EFL Cup win over League Two’s Carlisle, so there’s little reason why they shouldn’t go to Vicarage Road feeling good.

Watford vs Stoke City Betting tips

Two bets stand out ahead of this Championship fixture, so let’s not waste any time and get straight down to business.

Watford to Score Over 1.5 Goals

I really, really liked the way Watford went about their business at the New Den last week, while I also like that they didn’t hold back against League One opponents in the week, again scoring a glut of goals. Such efforts bode well ahead of this match against a Stoke City side that is yet to really be tested at the back.

The hosts seem to have good options in the forward areas, while they looked hugely threatening from set pieces last week, which in the Championship is always a sizable positive.

Having scored multiple goals in most of their friendlies, as well as in each of their two competitive games so far this season, I think there’s some juice in odds of 6/4, so I’ll be betting on the Hornets to sting the Potters by scoring at least twice on Saturday afternoon.

Ryan Porteous to be Booked

One Hornet who could be stung by the referee is Ryan Porteous. A full-blooded and sometimes over-zealous defender, the Scotsman is absolutely no stranger to getting himself in trouble, as we saw on the opening night of Euro 2024, when he rather recklessly got himself sent off.

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Not a player to quiet down too much, Porteous will absolutely get his share of cards this season, and I really would not be surprised if his first arrives here.

The 24-year-old picked up no less than 14 yellows in the Championship last season, collecting an average of 0.41 yellows per 90 minutes.

Factor in that Porteous also made an average of 1.45 fouls per 90 minutes and odds of 12/5 look a little eye-catching. It certainly won’t be long before he’s in the book and at such a price, I’m betting that he gets his name taken on this occasion.