QPR vs Norwich prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-04-18 18:45.
Queens Park Rangers slumped to a 3-0 Championship defeat against Coventry at the weekend which left them one point above the relegation zone, with manager Gareth Ainsworth admitting his side were âall at seaâ as they conceded twice after the 85th minute. Remarkably, the same QPR side that sailed to the top of the table in October is now struggling to stay afloat in Englandâs second tier with four games remaining!
Those waters are most choppy at home though, as that Coventry defeat was their third straight league loss âto nilâ at Loftus Road, despite Ainsworth claiming last month he wanted to make it into a fortress. As they welcome a Norwich City side they havenât beaten anywhere in five H2Hs (D2, L3), the Hoops desperately need to stem the tide having won just once since Ainsworthâs appointment (D1, L7).
As for Norwich, their play-off hopes took a severe battering on Friday night as they were thrashed 5-1 by Middlesbrough, and having won just one of their last seven games (D3, L3), theyâre losing form at the worst possible time. Boss David Wagner insisted his side âmade some horrendous mistakesâ as he put his youthful side to the sword before a second away game in quick succession.
If thereâs a silver lining for the Canaries, then perhaps they can take heart from the fact that their humbling on Teesside was their first defeat in six league away matches (W2, D3) and they have actually won the last two H2Hs at this ground. As theyâve scored an average of 1.4 goals per game across their last five Championship road fixtures (W2, D2, L1), they can justifiably harbour ambitions of points here against a struggling QPR side to reignite their playoff push.
Players to watch: QPRâs Lyndon Dykes netted against Norwich here last time they met in West London and each of his last four league goals came before the 35th minute. No player has scored more Championship goals in this H2H than Norwichâs Teemu Pukki (four) and similar to Dykes, eight of his ten Championship strikes this term arrived before the 25th minute.
Hot stat: QPR have scored just three second-half Championship goals at home this term.