Queens Park Rangers host Norwich City in the first round of the EFL Cup. The Canaries have looked the slightly better side so far this season and should have the edge on Wednesday, particularly as QPR have found things difficult at home lately.
Queens Park Rangers head into Wednesday’s clash off the back of a 2-1 victory over Cardiff City in a Championship fixture last weekend. Goals in each half from Sinclair Armstrong and Kenneth Paal gave them a two-goal lead and despite conceding midway through the second period, they were able to hold on for the win.
It was a good way to bounce back for QPR after suffering a 4-0 defeat to Watford on the opening weekend of the Championship. It also ended a run of two straight defeats for the Hoops and manager Gareth Ainsworth will be keen to build on that performance on Tuesday.
However, the problem for Queens Park Rangers is that they have been woeful at Loftus Road stretching back to last season. They have claimed just one win in their last 13 home matches, suffering eight defeats in that run.
Norwich City’s start to the season has been nothing short of exciting as they are unbeaten after two matches. They began with a 2-1 victory over Hull City on the opening weekend of the Championship before playing out a 4-4 draw at Southampton last Saturday.
While manager David Wagner will be pleased with an unbeaten start to the season, Norwich City’s defensive displays appear worrying. The Canaries have now conceded five goals in just two matches, although their potent attack makes up for this vulnerability.
The result at Southampton is an extension of a decent away record for Norwich City, who are unbeaten in 12 of their last 14 matches on the road, stretching back to last season. However, the one constant remains their porous defence which has conceded in nine matches in that run.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have installed Norwich City as overwhelming favourites with a win priced at 11/10 with Unibet. A victory for QPR is valued at 13/5 with BetVictor while bet365 is also offering odds of 13/5 for a draw.
Head to head
Norwich City have a 28-17 advantage with 21 draws from 66 previous matches against Queens Park Rangers. The Canaries are currently on a six-match unbeaten run against the Hoops and have claimed two wins on their last three visits to Loftus Road.
Players to watch
Sinclair Armstrong got off the mark last time out at Cardiff City and could be worth keeping an eye on for Queens Park Rangers. The attacker is priced at odds of 4/1 by bet365 to score anytime on Wednesday.
Jon Rowe has been in good form for Norwich City in the early weeks of the season, finding the net in their two Championship fixtures so far. Bet365 is offering 10/3 on the forward to maintain his scoring run on Wednesday.
Anything else catch the eye?
QPR and Norwich City have shown very little defensive solidity in recent weeks which means goals can be expected on Wednesday. Both teams could be backed to score at 3/4 with bet365, over 2.5 goals is valued at 5/6 with Betfred while over 3.5 goals is priced at 23/10 by Unibet.
Norwich City took the lead in their previous fixture and can be backed to score first on Wednesday at 8/11 with BoyleSports.
This EFL Cup match between Queens Park Rangers and Norwich City will be played on Aug 16, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Queens Park Rangers vs Norwich City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.