ENGLISH PREMIER BETTING PICK - NORWICH CITY V FULHAM

English Premier

2011-12-31 - Norwich City vs Fulham

A Sports Betting Pick by Lamps

NORWICH v FULHAM
Football : England : Premiership
Saturday 31st December - Kickoff 3:00pm

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Norwich

Norwich's 3 game unbeaten run was ended when Spurs came to Carrow Road and took the points in a 2-0 victory. Still with Norwich sitting in 11th place things are looking up for the side and with a 7 point gap from the bottom 3, it's so far so good for Paul Lambert.

In that 3 game run the Canaries beat Newcastle 4-2 at home and then drew 2 away games at Everton 1-1 and Wolves 2-2. This weekend against Fulham I think they can rediscover this form and a home win is on the cards.

Norwich has already beaten Sunderland (2-1), Swansea (3-1), QPR (2-1) and Newcastle (4-2) at Carrow Road and rate Fulham as the same standard as these sides.

Since losing at home to West Brom in September, Norwich has won 4 out of their last 6 at home. Only top 6 sides in Arsenal and Spurs have won since that WBA game and I feel on Saturday, Fulham won't get back to back away points.

Norwich Team News
Martin, Vaughan and Ward are absent for this one with doubts over De Laet and Tierney.

Tierney is only rated 50:50 and is likely to make way for Drury at left back if he doesn't make it. Naughton also returns after missing the game against his parent club with Whitbread and Martin starting in the middle.

Going forward Morison and Holt will start up top supported by Hoolahan and Pilkington in an attacking lineup. Norwich will go for the win at home and I see goals in them at the weekend.

Fulham

Fulham's point at Chelsea means they remain in 11th place and trail 6th placed Liverpool by 10 points yet the cushion above the drop zone is just 6 points. With the league so tight, they really need to get something at Norwich but I feel they may have one eye on Arsenal on Monday's game.

Fulham are not good travelers having scored just 4 goals all season on the road until the Chelsea game. Still their 5th goal was enough to give them a point as Chelsea looked slow and only started playing in the last 15 minutes of the game.

I can't be harsh on Fulham as most sides don't get points at the Bridge so the draw is commendable. However, just 1 win is poor and whilst the side has only lost 4 out of 9 away from Craven Cottage I can't back them in this one.

Draws at Sunderland, West Brom, Arsenal and Chelsea are impressive but they have also lost to Wolves, Newcastle, Swansea and Stoke. When you only have 5 away goals all year you can't help but feel if Norwich get 1 there's no chance Fulham are getting 2 and this is how i see this one playing out.

Fulham Team News
Jol will be missing Davies, Grygera and Schwarzer whilst Duff,Johnson and Zamora are doubts.

Johnson, Zamora and Duff are all unlikely to figure in this one having not trained since the Chelsea game. Jol will most likely go with the side that drew at Chelsea with Sa and Dembele up top.

The midfield will see Dempsey slot into the middle allowing Frei and Ruiz to start out wide.

In the defence Stockdale remains in goal and he will need Hangeland and Senderos in front of him to have good games. Especially when faced with the aerial threat of both Holt and Morison.

The Betting Verdict

No clean sheets all year worries me, but I feel Norwich has a chance of changing that on Saturday. Fulham is toothless going forward at the moment and will be missing some key strikers.

Also 5 away goals all year is horrific and the side has only scored more than 1 goal once this year away from home. If Norwich get 1 and I think they will, then I don't see them losing and therefore I will take the home side on the level ball.

Fulham has a nack of drawing games so having that on side is a bonus. Fulham did well at Chelsea but to have back to back away performances from this side just doesn't work with me. Home Win.

Good Luck

The Statistics :

The Pick :

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