Blackburn vs Norwich Prediction: Canaries to sing at Ewood

Valerien Ismael will take charge of his first Blackburn Rovers match on Saturday (12:30, Sky Sports+) as his side welcome Norwich City to Ewood Park in the Championship. Rovers were beaten 3-0 at Swansea City last time out, which has given the club much cause for concern in their top-six push.

Norwich head here after a 4-2 victory over Stoke last weekend as they aim to pick up the pace in the race for the play-offs. A victory here would take them to within a point of their hosts, who are currently sixth. Below you will find my Blackburn vs Norwich predictions, aided by the latest team news and match odds.

Blackburn vs Norwich Odds

Blackburn have won three of their past four home games in the Championship and they are 8/5 to come out on top on Saturday.

Norwich have drawn two of their last four appearances in the second tier and the stalemate is on offer at 23/10. The Canaries have prevailed in three of their previous six outings (home and away) in the league, so their 7/4 price (which has an implied probability of 36.4%) is enticing for this contest.

Both teams to score has been a successful bet in three of the visitors' last four league games, which is marketed at 8/11 (57.9%).

Norwich's Borja Sainz is the joint-leading marksman in the division with 15 goals and he is the 2/1 favourite to score anytime at Ewood Park.

Football Odds

Team News

Ismael will have some injuries in his squad to contend with for his first game as Blackburn boss. Danny Batth, Owen Beck, Scott Wharton, Harry Pickering and Sondre Tronstad are out of action. Yuki Ohashi returned to the squad at Swansea last week after a month on the sidelines, so he could be set for some minutes against Norwich.

Ryan Hedges and Andreas Weimann were restored to the XI in South Wales but with a new man at the helm, everyone will be out fighting for places in Ismael's system.

During his previous spells in England with Barnsley, West Bromwich Albion and Watford, Ismael has often deployed a 3-4-3 system, so we could see a new-look Blackburn team at the weekend. Rovers have predominantly used a 4-2-3-1 shape throughout the season.

For Norwich, they are set to be without the services of Liam Gibbs, Gabriel Forsyth, Amankwah Forson and Emiliano Marcondes due to various injuries. Marcelino Nunez was able to return to the squad against Stoke last time out, though.

The Canaries will be hoping Kenny McLean can return to the squad after missing the last three matches through illness. If his absence continues, Nunez should continue to operate in the middle of the park alongside Anis Ben Slimane and Jacob Sorensen.

Sainz and Sargent are nailed on to start in attack bar any last issues, while either Lewis Dobbin or Ante Crnac should join them to complete the front three.

Norwich to win @ 7/4

Norwich have been up and down throughout the season and they have had to deal with absences to their star attackers Sainz and Sargent due to suspension and injury respectively.

Now that they are both back together the Canaries can start to mount a charge for the top six. They are four points behind their hosts ahead of Saturday's encounter, and a victory could take them on the cusp of play-off places.

After they defeated Stoke 4-2 last week, they took their goal tally for the campaign up to 55 and only league leaders Leeds United (71) have managed more so far. Sainz and Sargent have scored 47 per cent of that total between them, and both will be key in the final months of the campaign, and I expect both to play starring roles in BB2.

I'm concerned for Blackburn after their 3-0 defeat at Swansea, as the ones have been on a downward trajectory for months. With the firepower that Norwich possess, I think it could be a miserable afternoon for Rovers.

Josh Sargent anytime goalscorer @ 21/10

Despite having another injury-plagued season, Norwich forward Sargent has made light work of reaching double figures for goals in the Championship once again. The American has netted 11 so far this term, and bear in mind that he missed a couple of months due to a groin problem.

He has been a man possessed since returning to the team, having bagged seven goals in his previous six league appearances, including a brace last time out against Stoke.

I consider Sargent the best forward in the division because he is the most well-rounded. He can create opportunities as well as he takes them, and his return will act as a catalyst for the Canaries' rise up the table in the final months of the campaign.

With the form he is in right now, I'm hardly going to back anyone else to get on the scoresheet.

Offers

Friday/Saturday: Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any FA Cup or Championship game on Friday or Saturday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on Sunday’s games. (Credited upon Bet Settlement)

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.