QPR vs Norwich City Prediction: Sainz can strike again for Canaries

QPR have picked up some decent points of late in their battle to avoid relegation and are now unbeaten in their last three outings. Their next test comes as they welcome Norwich City to Loftus Road for a 15:00 kick-off on Saturday afternoon.  

Norwich have been free-scoring this term, hitting 12 goals in their last three matches, so this will be a tough test for the R’s defence. Below you will find my QPR vs Norwich City predictions, featuring team news and betting tips. 

Team News

QPR are still without the likes of Jack Colback and Jake Clarke-Salter, as the defender continues to struggle with a calf issue. However, they both could return sooner rather than later, with the club hoping for them to be back in action before Christmas. 

Striker Michael Frey is arguably the biggest miss of the lot, as his calf issue continues to plague his season. He has also been touted for a return before the new year, but Marti Cifuentes won’t want to rush him back, especially now Zan Celar has found some form. Ilias Chair is out until January and Karamoko Dembele could be out for even longer, as the R’s count the cost of their walking wounded. 

Koki Saito is likely to continue on the left wing, with youngster Kieran Morgan looking to maintain his spot in the number 10 role. Paul Nardi did well in goal last time out against Watford, and he is set to be protected by Liam Morrison and Steve Cook after a clean sheet at Vicarage Road. 

For Norwich, they remain without Josh Sargent, Liam Gibbs and Jose Cordoba, so Johannes Hoff Thorup will have to go with what he has. The lack of a number nine looked like it might be an issue with Sargent out but Ante Crnac has stepped up to the plate and performed well, scoring twice against Luton last time out. 

In truth, he and the right-winger, nominally Forson Amankwah, are both just foils for the magnificent Borja Sainz, who operates from the left. He’s now scored 15 goals in 18 league games, and is a certainty to start and star once again in the capital. Kenny McLean’s return has massively improved the midfield, while Anis Ben Slimane has also enjoyed a fine season. 

Marcelino Nunez came back from his injury to play a few minutes off the bench, and he could start in place of Slimane if deemed fit enough, with fellow midfielder Emiliano Marcondes also scoring last time out. Angus Gunn will be hoping to keep a clean sheet behind Callum Doyle and Shane Duffy. 

QPR vs Norwich City Odds

Having failed to win at home this season, QPR are priced at 15/8 to end that miserable run, while Norwich City are available at 11/8, giving them an implied win probability of 42%, to win their third game on the bounce. A draw can be backed at 9/4, while over 2.5 goals is 5/6. 

QPR have seen over 2.5 goals in 11 of their 18 games while Norwich have seen over 2.5 in 12 of their fixtures, giving them the second-highest over 2.5 goals percentage in the league. BTTS is priced at 4/6, while Sainz is unsurprisingly the favourite to open the scoring at 5/1. 

Norwich to win @ 11/8

I’m going to back the away team here for a number of reasons. First of all, QPR haven’t won a game at Loftus Road yet, drawing four and losing five of their nine games so far. They have scored eight but also conceded 16 goals on home soil, and despite their slight uptick in form recently, I think Norwich’s attack will prove too much for them. 

That attack is sensational, and they’ve now scored 10 goals in the last 180 minutes of football. Six past Plymouth and four past Luton prove how good the Canaries are moving forward, and now they have found their rhythm even without Sargent leading the line. I just cannot see the R’s keeping Norwich out, and so I’ll back Thorup to pick up his third victory in a row.

Borja Sainz to score anytime @ 8/5

I’ll pick this selection in every Norwich game. I picked it against Plymouth, and Sainz duly delivered with a hat-trick, while he followed that up with another goal at home against Luton. 15 goals in 18 games this season is just bonkers for a winger who only found the net six times last term. 

Thorup is getting the best out of his wide man, who is happy to shoot from anywhere with excellent precision. I thought we’d see a drop off when Sargent came out of the team, but instead the Spaniard has stepped up to the plate in extreme fashion. He’s scored five goals more than any other player in the Championship this season, and he’s also scored more than Joel Piroe and Emmanuel Latte Lath combined in 2024/25. This goalscoring form should continue against a weak QPR outfit. 

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