Football betting tips: Wycombe v Norwich
1pt Emi Buendia to score any time at 9/4 (Unibet)
1pt Jack Grimmer to be shown a card at 6/1 (Unibet)
Trickier than timing the Sunday roast with the veg, the Sky Bet Championship lunchtime kick-off provides the old punters’ peril – trying to find any sort of value when top meets bottom.
On one hand, the prime cut of beef, Norwich City, glistening with pride over its place at the top table – our Delia will love that metaphor as well.
And on the other, the veritable pea, Wycombe Wanderers, much loved by virtually all but very much perennially striving to justify their position among the giants around them.
Kick-off time: Sunday, 12:00 GMT
TV channel: Sky Sports Football
Home 15/2 | Draw 19/5 | Away 4/11
In truth, both seem as if they will be exiting the second tier by opposing doors this season – Norwich seven points clear at the summit, Wycombe eight points from safety at the bottom.
But the Chairboys have equipped themselves adequately in their first-ever campaign at this level – they have beaten two sides in the top six: Cardiff and, most recently, Reading last weekend, the latter win achieved despite playing the final 20 minutes with 10 men.
Gareth Ainsworth’s side have lost 18 of 31 Championship games but only on three occasions have they been beaten by more than two goals – in short, they have been reliably competitive.
Emi Buendia the value call in Wycombe v Norwich
As such, it’s tempting to combine the likely Norwich win (heavily odds-on everywhere unsurprisingly) with under 3.5 goals which you can take up at 23/20 generally.
That’s still fraught with danger, however – if the Canaries score early, they cut could loose, with 4-1 and 3-1 wins over Stoke and Birmingham recent evidence of this.
Similarly, while a Norwich win to nil at 13/10 also looks appealing, Wycombe have a habit of finding the net even when they lose – of their past 14 defeats, six have been 2-1 and one 3-1.
At such short odds, there’s little point nailing our colours to either mast so the best value is in the goalscorer markets especially given we assume Norwich are likely to net at least once at Adams Park.
Unsurprisingly, 17-goal Teemu Pukki is odds on to score any time and a skinny 14/5 best to net first. It’s only 3/1 on Emi Buendia to set up the Finn for a goal as he has done on six occasions this season.
I much prefer the 9/4 Unibet offer on BUENDIA TO SCORE ANYTIME – he’s scored nine times this term already and with Todd Cantwell (calf) likely out, the Argentine will surely feature even more heavily in an attacking sense for the Canaries. He’s, rightly, as short as 6/4 elsewhere.
Wycombe undervalued in the card markets
Unsurprisingly, given the calibre of attacking talent they have at their disposal, Norwich are among the top four Championship sides at drawing fouls. Wycombe, often on the back foot, are among the top three for fouls conceded.
I suspect you can see where I’m going here – in the Canaries’ past 13 games, 32 cards have been brandished to their opponents, 2.5 per match. Wycombe are no ‘kick em’ merchants – mid-table in the fair play standings but it’s fair to assume they will collect a couple of cautions here.
Right-back JACK GRIMMER tops the card markets for Wycombe with five bookings this season so I was intrigued to see him way down the odds at 6/1 with Unibet TO BE CARDED.
Whether Buendia switches to the left to compensate for Cantwell’s absence or Onel Hernandez comes in instead, Grimmer will be up against a tricky customer – he averages 1.7 tackles a game and with Wycombe likely on the back foot, it would be no surprise if he erred his way into the referee’s notebook again.
Wycombe v Norwich score prediction and best bet
- Emi Buendia to score any time at 9/4 with Unibet
- Jack Grimmer to be shown a card at 6/1 with Unibet
Score prediction: Wycombe 0-2 Norwich (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)
Posted at 1900 GMT on 26/02/21
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