Not too long ago, Norwich were on a fantastic winning run and they were sat at the top of the Championship table. This was a fantastic moment for the club, and they looked as good as they have done for the past few years, but unfortunately in recent weeks they have started to undo that hard work, and they must find a way to stop their drop down the table.

The Canaries go into this weekend in third place, in the playoffs and outside of the top two places which guarantee automatic promotion. After being up at the top, Norwich will want to get back there and while on paper they may not have one of the best two squads in the league, we have seen them do it before and they have to find the strength to do it again.

One thing that will help Norwich this weekend is that they are playing first ahead of the rest of the league, and they are able to put some pressure on other teams at the top with a win. Three points would give Norwich 53 in total, and put them back into second place ahead of Sheffield United, and just one point behind Leeds who are top. That would put a little more pressure on those two teams, especially with both of them heading away from home to face two big teams. Sheffield United travel to Swansea, while Leeds travel to Stoke, and a win for Norwich would certainly make those trips a little more difficult.

At the start of the season, Birmingham really struggled to pick victories up, and they went through a stage where they drew a lot of games. Even at this stage after they have improved, they have 12 draws to their name which is the joint most in the division, and had they not gone through that stage at the start of the season, there is every reason to believe they would have been right up there challenging for automatic promotion right now.

The turnaround has been impressive, and they are one of a number of teams who are battling to get into the playoff positions. With 39 points they are four behind Derby, who currently hold onto the last playoff spot, but just six points separate nine clubs between Derby in the playoffs and Blackburn in 14th, showing just how tight things are.

Every single point is crucial for those fighting at the top of the Championship right now, and while the teams at the top have to perform well when playing at home, it is those additional bonus points away from home that may seperate the teams in the end. No one really expects Birmingham to go to Norwich and pick up a win, but if they could get something from this game, then that would really help their cause in the long run, and they would see it as an important point.

Is This the Closest Championship Promotion Battle Ever?

We all regard the Championship as one of the best second tier leagues in the world and on top of that it is also widely known as one of the toughest leagues to be promoted from, with the Premier League being a huge reward for those that manage to get there. However, perhaps more than ever before, this season looks to be incredibly tight and covering a large number of teams. Blackburn, who are currently in 14th position, are just six points away from the playoffs, and any team that is just six points away at this stage are certainly classed as a contender.

That means we have 14 of the 24 teams in the league battling for promotion, what a fantastic position to be in. The January transfer window is going to be fascinating, with teams deciding whether to push on and bring players in, or sit tight and trust in what they already have at the club. The next couple of weeks are going to be great for fans to watch, both on and off the field.

Whether it is the teams battling for the top two automatic spots, where eight points separate five teams who are battling it out for two places, or the playoffs where we have already shown that teams as far down as 14th in the league are still certainly in the race. No matter where you look, things are tight in the Championship, and that can only be great for the fans of this league, although perhaps not for those who are fans of the teams involved in this right now!

Norwich vs Birmingham Betting Tips

This is the first, and one of many huge games at the top of the Championship this weekend, and that is a trend that is going to continue over the coming weeks until we get to the end of the season. A win for Norwich will put them back into the automatic promotion positions and just one point off the top of the table, adding pressure to those games that Leeds and Sheffield United are playing on Saturday.

Birmingham will move to just one point outside of the playoffs with a win on Friday night, showing their hand and putting pressure on the many clubs around them. Some of them will win, but we must be moving closer to a position where teams will begin to drop away and fall out of the promotion race. Birmingham cannot afford to do that, and while this is certainly not a must win game for them on Friday night, there are bonus points up for grabs for them.

However, I don’t think they will go to Norwich and get anything, and I am backing Norwich to land the three points on Friday night, and move back up into 2nd place in the Championship table. The Canaries are going through a bad spell, and if they want to seriously push for an automatic promotion spot then they have to turn that around soon. I am backing them to do this on Friday, and take all three points from their game with Birmingham. N

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