Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City: Prediction, Tips and Odds

There will be a sense of anticipation when Valerien Ismael takes charge of Blackburn Rovers for the first time in Saturday's Championship clash against Norwich City at Ewood Park.

Rovers confirmed Ismael's appointment on a deal until the end of the 2027/28 season on Tuesday, with the club's chief executive Steve Waggott saying the new manager "knows the Championship extremely well and what it takes to finish in the play-offs".

Blackburn currently occupy sixth position in the standings, just a point ahead of Coventry in seventh, while opponents Norwich are four points behind their hosts in 10th.

The battle for the play-off positions looks like it will go down to the wire and a win here for either side would significantly boost their chances of a top-six finish.

Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City betting tips and predictions

Under 2.5 goals - 4/5

It is difficult to know how quickly Blackburn will adapt to the new methods of Ismael, who has been out of work since being dismissed by Watford on 9th March 2024.

The 49-year-old has plenty of managerial experience and he could turn out to be a shrewd appointment, but he will have had just a few days of training with the squad and he may not get the instant response he wants.

But the campaign is drawing to an end and Blackburn need to gather some momentum to ensure they reach the play-offs, a stage of the Championship season they have never made before.

Whether that comes at home to Norwich, another play-off hopeful, remains to be seen and it would be no surprise if these two played out a low-scoring affair in Lancashire.

While the Canaries have been scoring for fun at home, notching 41 times to boast the second-best record behind Leeds (44), it has been a different story on the road with just 14 goals from 17 matches.

Norwich have adapted a more defensive approach on their travels and there have been fewer than three strikes in their last five away matches, while under 2.5 goals has landed 11 times away from home.

Blackburn have also been involved in a number of low-scoring contests, with 21 of their 34 Championship clashes producing under 2.5 goals.

Ismael will be looking to tighten Rovers up at the back and Saturday's meeting could turn out to be a gritty, determined affair.

Josh Sargent anytime goalscorer - 12/5

If any player is going to get on the scoresheet at Ewood Park then it will likely be Norwich forward Josh Sargent, who bagged a brace in the 4-2 win over Stoke last time out.

That was the second game in a row the United States international has scored, while it also took his goals tally to seven from his last six appearances and 11 in total for the campaign.

Sargent has had at least one shot on target in five of his last five outings and he looks like a worthwhile bet to find the back of the net for the third successive match.

Anis Ben Slimane to be booked - 4/1

Both Blackburn and Norwich have not been afraid to get stuck in this season, with Rovers picking up 74 yellows and two reds compared to the 70 yellows and two reds of the Canaries.

With the Rovers players looking to impress the new boss and Norwich aiming to close the gap to the play-offs, there should be plenty of energy expended in this contest, and the tackles will be flying in.

There are plenty of individuals that appeal in the bookings market but the one that sticks out at generous odds of 4/1 is Norwich midfielder Anis Ben Slimane.

The 23-year-old Tunisia international has committed 27 fouls in the Championship this season, with five of these coming across his last three appearances, and he can count himself lucky to have escaped a caution in all of those contests.

However, his luck may run out on Saturday and it would be no surprise to see him pick up his sixth caution of the campaign, with three of his yellows received coming away from home.

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Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City odds

Blackburn Rovers - 6/4
Draw - 12/5
Norwich City - 17/10

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.