Derby vs Norwich Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

This is arguably the biggest game of the weekend in the Championship between two sides with promotion ambitions but a fair amount of work to do if they are to fulfil them. Norwich are better placed in the division but all the momentum is with Derby right now and they look the more likely victors here.

Steve McClaren is not without his critics but his record in both this and his previous spell at Derby is good. He’s finally got this Derby team scoring goals and that has contributed to them winning three games on the spin coming into this match. They’ve netted 8 goals in those 3 games having only managed 7 in their first 14 league games this season. Tom Ince has fired in 4 goals in Derby’s last 2 matches alone and he looks a good bet to score anytime here with himself, Darren Bent and Johnny Russell forming what is finally starting to look like an effective forward line.

They should get chances here too with Norwich looking highly unconvincing at the back. The Canaries have conceded 2.22 goals per game on the road so far this season and only two sides in the league have a worse overall defensive record than them. That is a massive concern for them, given they began the season with strong automatic promotion hopes. They are by no means out of the frame but a run of 5 straight defeats (including a penalty shoot-out loss at Leeds in the EFL Cup) must be a source of deep concern for boss Alex Neil and this is not an easy game to try and turn that poor form around.

Derby have been defending very well this season, letting in just 0.76 goals per game and even less at home. Now their attack has started firing, they are starting to look like a very strong Championship side again and with Norwich in awful form, a home win looks the most likely outcome here. You can back Derby to win at 6/5.