This weekend's Sky Bet Championship action commences at Carrow Road where Norwich host Millwall. James Cantrill previews this one, picking out two best bets.
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Football betting tips: Championship
1.5pts Norwich to win at 10/11 (General)
1pt Norwich 19+ shots at 11/8 (Sky Bet)
Dean Smith’s side, the antepost title favourites, have started inconsistently, making three points a necessity here. It is very early days but two defeats, a draw and a victory is not the form of a table-topping side, especially given the calibre of their opponents in the Sky Bet Championship.
Millwall do not know when they are beaten. They have come from two goals down in each of their last two fixtures perfectly encapsulating this squad's seemingly indomitable attitude.
That being said, there was an element of fortune in the Lions' latest comeback, with their two injury-time goals at the Liberty Stadium coming courtesy of Swansea defenders.
Nevertheless, Gary Rowett’s side will be on cloud nine for their trip to Norfolk.
Kick-off time: 20:00 BST, Friday
TV Channel: Sky Sports Main Event
Norwich 10/11 | Draw 5/2 | Millwall 3/1
Millwall are two separate entities when playing at The Den compared to on their travels.
Last season, only Fulham and Bournemouth - the two sides that went up automatically - picked up more points at home (both 46) than the Lions' tally of 45.
If Rowett’s side could have emulated that form on their travels then they would now be plying their trade in the top flight. Instead, they were one of the worst teams in the division on the road, with only the three relegated clubs - Derby, Peterborough and Barnsley - winning fewer games.
Millwall only won 21% of their away games last campaign, averaging less than a goal a game and failing to score in just under a third of their 23 fixtures.
So I am happy touting NORWICH TO WIN on Friday evening.
The Canaries have racked up 68 shots in their opening four league matches, topping the charts for shots per game (17) and shots from open play (54). The majority of their efforts - 91% to be exact - have come in their last three games.
It is worth pointing out that game state may have skewed those statistics as Norwich fell behind against both Hull and Wigan. However, given how poorly Millwall travel, I imagine this clash will follow a similar trend.
Millwall should deploy a low block, looking to soak up possession and strike in transition allowing Norwich dominate possession which in turn should see the hosts rack up the shots.
In their last three league games, Smith’s side have hit the line of 19 in two. Interestingly, both these games were at home during which the Canaries hit a total of 44 shots. Therefore, taking NORWICH TO HAVE 19+ SHOTS certainly appeals here.
Norwich v Millwall score prediction and best bets
- 1.5pts Norwich at 10/11 (General)
- 1pt Norwich 19 Shots at 11/8 (Sky Bet)
Score prediction: Norwich 3-0 Millwall (Sky Bet odds: 14/1)
Odds correct 1230 BST (17/08/22)
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