Norwich v Sunderland
Norwich welcome managerless Sunderland to Carrow Road on Saturday. Canaries boss Wagner was under huge pressure in October but the board stuck with him and are now starting to see the benefits of allowing their manager time. The hosts have now lost just 5 in their last 19 games and its nine home games without defeat.
Those nine home games have seen them score 19 goals, an average of 2.11 goals per fixture and they have scored two or more in six of the last seven.
The Canaries have had the 3rd most shots in the Championship from their home games this season and sit 9th for home xG. They will be missing Rowe but still have a number of attacking players none more so than Josh Sargent who has 10 goals in 14 games this season
Sunderland sacked Tony Mowbray and appointed Michael Beale who lasted just 14 games before being sacked and they have now appointed an interim boss, Mike Dodds until the end of the season. They appear to be slipping out of the play off race after Beale managed just four wins and they have only won seven of their last 20 whilst on the road it’s one win in 12.
Of their 17 away fixtures this term they have just four clean sheets and it’s now just two in 12.
This is a massive game for both sides with Norwich sitting 7th and three points off the play offs whilst Sunderland sit a further five points back. The hosts have a settled side with key players in form whilst Sunderland are in poor form and collectively in a mess with their third manager of the season, who is likely to be gone come May.
Norwich to score 1.5+ goals at 10/11 with William Hill
Bradford vs Notts County
Notts County looked likely to contest the playoffs and potentially achieve back-to-back promotions but manager Luke Williams left the club to take the position at Swansea and it’s gone downhill rapidly for them ever since.
They have dropped down the table to 14th and have only won just once under new manager Stuart Maynard. It was always going to be a big ask for Maynard to step up from non league football and continue the form and winning mentality that Williams had built and it’s gone worse than anyone could have predicted.
A disastrous result in midweek when County where beaten 4-3 at home by rock bottom Sutton United and that was their third successive defeat, they have now lost five of their last six matches, won just once in their last nine and won just three in their last 14. It’s grim.
On the road County have only one win in nine and have conceded 22 goals, an average of 2.44 over that nine-game period. Throughout the season it’s an average of 2.12 goals conceded per away fixture.
Bradford have finally turned their season around now look like the side many were expecting the season. They still can be inconsistent but under Graham Alexander they have won seven of their 17 games, losing just five with three of the defeats coming on the road. City are just five points off the play offs position but sit 16th so would need a strong finish to make a late charge to gatecrash them.
This appears to be two sides heading in different directions so I’m happy to back the hosts at 19/20 with BetVictor
Leyton Orient v Bristol Rovers
Orient are flying. Over the last 10 League One matches no side has accumulated more points than Orient with 22 points from a possible 30. Over the last 10 games they have beaten, Portsmouth, Bolton , Oxford and Blackpool and they now sit in eighth place just 5 points behind Stevenage in 6th. It’s a remarkable run of form for a side that was suspected to struggle after promotion last season.
At Brisbane Road it’s now just one defeat from their last seven fixtures winning five.
Rovers have been inconsistent of late, winning four of their last 11, but losing seven over this period. They have won just six of their 17 away matches this season, losing nine. The Gas have kept just three away clean sheets all season but have scored in 15 of their 17 away fixtures. In all reality, Rovers find their season all but over. They sit 13 points away from the play-offs, and also 13 points away from the relegation places. It seems that they have almost nothing left to play for unlike Orient, who still have a very good chance of finishing inside the play-off positions.
Orient therefore should be up for this fixture and I am happy to back them at 10/11 with Betfair to win this match.
EFL Betting Tips
- Norwich to score 1.5+ goals at 10/11 with William Hill
- Bradford win at 19/20 with BetVictor
- Orient win at 10/11 with Betfair
