Stoke travel to West Brom in the Premier League on Saturday and TEAMtalk's tipsters have had attempted to nail the result amid office warfare.

The TEAMtalk office has been split since the summer over how Stoke will get in the Premier League this season so we decided to put our money where our mouths are and get our predictions down in writing.

Our Insider at the Britannia Stadium, Mark Holmes, reckons they'll finish 15th or above, Deputy Editor James Marshment has fancied them to scrape survival from the start and even our top man Simon Wilkes, a die-hard West Brom fan, now believes they escape the drop.

We've drafted in another Stokie, James Knowles, to give his views each week and we're also speaking to an opposition fan each week to see how they get on predicting the Potters' results against their side.

Last time out

Stoke hosted Middlesbrough last time out and the Potters continued their impressive record at the Britannia Stadium with a 1-0 victory courtesy of Ryan Shawcross' late header.

Mark, Simon and James Knowles all correctly tipped home wins but extra kudos - and an extra point - goes to James who was bang on the money with his 1-0 tip.

James Marshment will count himself unlucky as his draw prediction looked good until the final 10 minutes, while Boro fan Duncan Cowley was well off the mark with his tip of an away success for his side.

The table, based on a point for a correct result and two for a correct scoreline, now reads: Simon Wilkes 20, James Marshment 18, Opposition 16, Mark Holmes 15, James Knowles 10.

Stoke v West Brom Match Facts

If ever there were two clubs that knew each other inside out, it is these two. Both were founder members of the Football League, both were promoted from the Championship last season but only one, Stoke, look forward to these games.

The Potters have an incredible hoodoo over West Brom which has seen them lose just one of the last 24 league games between the sides. That defeat came at The Hawthorns in 2003 when Scott Dobie earned Albion a 1-0 win, but Stoke have won five and drawn one of the six games since.

Overall the men from North Staffordshire have 16 wins and seven draws since a thumping 6-0 defeat to the Baggies in 1988. They lead 53 to 38 in all-time league victories but they have not been as successful down the years in the Black Country with Albion leading 29 wins to 19 on home turf.

Stoke won 1-0 in the earlier-season clash at the Britannia Stadium but they are still searching for their first away success and it will not be easy against Tony Mowbray's side who have won five times in front of their own fans this term.

Predictions

Mark Holmes (TEAMtalk's Insider): Well if we're going to win an away game, this will be it. We absolutely love playing West Brom and we love beating them too.

Our record is incredible and, no matter what anybody says, it is in the minds of both sets of players. Albion know all about our hoodoo over them and they hate our physical approach so this is a game they will not be looking forward to.

Stoke on the other hand are relishing it after a couple of decent results recently and this game is still the one the fans look forward to more than any, so the atmosphere will be unbelievable behind the goal.

If the Baggies score first then I reckon they'll fight and get something out of the game but I honestly believe they'll capitulate if we score early, as we have done many times before against them.

Ricardo Fuller is their chief tormenter and I reckon he'll score early and set up James Beattie for two more in a 3-1 win.

Simon Wilkes (TEAMtalk Editor): OK so the Baggies are unbeaten in two games - but we needed to beat either West Ham or Bolton, and were lucky to scrap a point against the Trotters to be honest.

I'm an ardent Albion fan and have been for many years, so have sadly seen us fail to beat Stoke on several occasions.

To say they're our bogey team is an understatement, and I honestly think they'll get their first win of the season at The Hawthorns.

It's tippy-tap football against Stoke's bombardment, but with the likes of Whelan, Lawrence and Etherington in their team, I can see them setting up a goal apiece for Fuller and Beattie in a 2-0 win for the visitors.

James Marshment (TEAMtalk Deputy Editor): It's kind of gone behind 'make or break' for the Baggies now and I think a lot of their players now realise their days are numbered in the Prem. Yes, they'll say all the right things about the 'Great Escape' and 'five from eight games' blah blah blah, but the simple fact of the matter is they're not getting the results.

So, what better team to be facing than your bogey side, which is exactly what Stoke are for West Brom. OK, so the Potters have yet to win on their travels this term, but this will represent their best opportunity to do so.

That said, whilst I don't think West Brom will be good enough to win, I also just can't see Stoke winning, so by process of eilimination I'll say 1-1.

James Knowles (Stoke season ticket holder): After what seems an age of waiting, we are finally back in action. It's been nice to be outside the bottom three for two weeks and we have a wonderful opportunity to pick up that elusive first away win at the bottom side.

People harp on about how we 'always beat West Brom' and yes, we have a glorious record but I would take a repeat of last year's 1-1 draw.

I can see a deflected Chris Brunt shot opening the scoring before a scrambled late equaliser from Ibrahima Sonko will effectively send West Brom down.

And what the opposition think (Greg Cooper - West Brom fan):

The game that's impossible to call! Stoke can't win away. West Brom can't beat Stoke. In theory, this game has 0-0 written all over it.

However, there are no secrets that West Brom has a very dodgy defence, although a bit of a shake up, some harsh words in the press by Paul Robinson, and the arrival of our new saviour (?!?) Shelton Martis and return from injury of Jonas Olsen seems to have made it appear a little more solid.

Opinion is torn on the West Brom terraces as to whether sticking with Tony Mowbray is the right thing to do or not.

The squad, on paper, is the strongest it has been for a long time, and over the summer the additions of Zuiverloon, Meite, Carson, Valero, Cech & co looked promising. However some players have consistently made mistakes, some have struggled with the tempo of the league, and other's have simply not been given the chance to play.

With regards to Stoke, what stands out to me is the addition of Beattie, Etherington and Henri Camara in January. Beattie is a goal scorer, and has proved it since he signed, Etherington adds a different option on the left, and Camara has pace to burn.

Of the few games i have watched Stoke play in, the major point that stood out to me was the willing to fight for each other, something that West Brom have lacked this season. Too many times we have gone a goal down, and then never looked like getting back into the match.

Both teams will be targeting this game as a win, so the pressure for both clubs will be immense. The atmosphere in the ground promises to be electric, and hopefully that will have an impact on the pitch and make for a brilliant entertaining game of football. I feel with the importance of the game for both team it should be quite open with a few goals. My head is telling me a score draw, like 2-2, but I'm going to go with my heart and predict West Brom to snatch it 3-2.