Norwich vs Preston prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-10-07 14:00.
Norwich are living up to their pre-season tag as one of the favourites to get promoted from the Championship, but Dean Smith is expecting a reaction from his side after a 1-1 draw with Reading on Tuesday, which nevertheless saw them move level on points with Sheffield United at the top of the table. The manager described that performance as “frustrating,” admitting they were “loose in possession”, despite having over 65% of the ball.
The good news for the Canaries is that Todd Cantwell is fit again after missing the drive to the Select Car Leasing Stadium. If selected, he will be hoping to help his side extend a nine-match unbeaten run (W7, D2) which has been built on a particularly solid record at home, where they have won four of their six league outings in 2022/23 (D2), scoring at least two goals in each victory.
Norwich will be hopeful of making it ten matches without defeat against a Preston side who have won on just one of their last eight trips to Carrow Road (D3, L4). The home side will have to break down the Football League’s meanest defence though, given North End have staggeringly only conceded four goals in a dozen games this season, with their defence yet to be breached across their five road trips in the division (W2, D3)!
It’s not all rosy at Deepdale considering Preston have also only scored four times themselves, but a 1-0 victory over West Brom on Wednesday at least ended a run of just one win from the nine games prior (D5, L3). That recent win left Ryan Lowe’s side in 11th place in the table and they will now look to extend an unbeaten run of six away league games (W3, D3) as the manager attempts to “achieve something great” with the Lilywhites.
Key battle: Norwich striker Teemu Pukki, who already has four goals this season, has netted three times in four clashes with Preston (W1, D2, L1). Attempting to stop him will be North End goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, who has gone 7 ½ hours since he last conceded a league goal away from home, and has kept one clean sheet in two meetings with Norwich (W1, L1).
Hot stat: Preston have only scored more than once in one of their last 14 away league games (W5, D5, L3).