Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
Norwich City are struggling to secure a home win. Their third attempt will be against Watford, a team known for their excellent finishing. The hosts will find it very challenging.
Norwich City
Once again, Norwich City failed to score in their latest away match, despite having clear chances. One goal (and thereby a draw) would have sufficed, as Norwich's xG was higher than Swansea City's (1.13-0.71), and they had more shots (13-9). Due to poor finishing, Norwich City have already missed out on 2.53 goals this season. The next game is at home, but fans shouldn't get their hopes up: previous home matches resulted in draws against Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United, with Norwich City allowing their opponents to equalise in both meetings.
Watford
Watford will be more than happy if given similar chances, as they, unlike Norwich City, know how to capitalise on them. In five rounds, Watford have scored nine goals, exceeding their xG (7.64). They also know how to defend effectively: conceding only five goals, despite their opponents creating chances worth 9.46 xG. This explains their strong fifth-place position after a disappointing last season where they finished 15th.
Norwich City vs Watford Prediction
Three of the last four head-to-head matches ended with Watford winning, always by a one-goal difference. Only in the most recent match in February of this year did Norwich City win at home. A second consecutive victory for them is unlikely, even though bookmakers seem to favour them more than Watford. Norwich City tend to be too complacent with their chances. Therefore, we propose a compromise: betting on Watford (0), especially considering that it offers good odds.
