Ipswich vs Norwich Prediction: Tractor Boys to prove cream of the crop in East Anglia

The first East Anglian derby in over four years takes place at Portman Road on Saturday afternoon (KO, 12;30), as Ipswich Town look to move - for a couple of days at least - to the top of the Championship with a win over their bitter rivals Norwich City.

The Tractor Boys have won their last four games and are now just a point behind leaders Leicester City, who don't play Birmingham City until Monday night.

Norwich are also in good form, however, after claiming seven points from their last three matches to relieve some of the pressure on head coach David Wagner.

Team News

Kieran McKenna's wealth of options in attack was evident for all to see in Tuesday's 2-1 win at Watford, as Nathan Broadhead and Wes Burns were benched in favour of Omari Hutchinson and Marcus Harness. The Welsh duo should return to the starting XI on Saturday, though.

On-loan Manchester United defender Brandon Williams, who spent the 2021/22 season at Carrow Road, was substituted at half-time at Vicarage Road and could lose his place to Harrison Clarke, who replaced the 23-year-old on Tuesday.

Luke Woolfenden is also likely to return in place of Axel Tuanzebe.

The visitors made a few changes for the midweek win over Sheffield Wednesday, and Jack Stacey and Onel Hernandez will be hoping to get their starting spots back ahead of Kellen Fisher and Borja Sainz.

Match Odds

Ipswich are 4/7 to record a fourth straight win at Portman Road, while the draw is priced at 3/1. A victory for Norwich, meanwhile, is priced at 5/1.

Both teams to score is 8/13 and it's 8/15 for there to be over 2.5 goals.

Ipswich to win and over 3.5 goals @ 11/5

There's been no shortage of goals in Ipswich and Norwich games this season. Ipswich are the division's top scorers with 45 goals in 21 games, while the Canaries have shared 74 goals equally with their opponents. 37 goals conceded is more than every club in the Championship bar bottom side Rotherham United (41).

Ipswich have been close to perfect at Portman Road this term, winning nine out of 10 league games there, scoring 30 goals (and conceding 17). That averages out at just under four goals per game, but six of their last eight have seen them win and the over 3.5 goals land. The other two matches fell just a goal short.

Norwich fans have seen plenty of goals on their travels, but two of their last four have seen them lose and at least four goals scored. A sixth away defeat of the Championship season is expected for them on Saturday, but it should be entertaining, at least.

Jonathan Rowe to score anytime @ 10/3

The Norwich City academy graduate started the season on fire with a goal in each of his first five games, and his strike against Wednesday in midweek was his eighth in the Championship - only Sammie Szmodics (14), Adam Armstrong (12), Jack Clarke (10) and Crysencio Summerville (nine) have more to their name.

Rowe looks well-placed to get on the scoresheet again on Saturday against an Ipswich side that are far from rock-solid at the back. The Tractor Boys have conceded 26 in the league, 12 more than Leicester, and eight teams have conceded fewer.

They've kept just one clean sheet in their last 12 in all competitions and have conceded twice in a match on five occasions in that run. Rowe should be fancying his chances of adding his name to the growing list of players who have struck  past Vaclav Hladky.

Check out the rest of our Football Betting Tips here.