Norwich City is a team that has yo-yoed between the Premier League and Championship several times over the course of the last decade and a half. The Canaries are struggling this year in the second division, but nothing cures a team's poor form like a great run in the FA Cup. Norwich will be giving everything it has to its third-round duel against Chelsea.
This FA Cup duel will go down Saturday, January 6, 2017, at 12:30 p.m. ET at Carrow Road. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.
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Norwich City – Check Back Later
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Odds Analysis
The magic of the FA Cup provides us with upsets all the time, but Chelsea is still going to be a rather imposing favorite in this match. Remember that last season, only two teams from the top-flight were upset by teams from outside of the Premier League in the third round of the FA Cup, and the chalk is likely to hold once again.
Chelsea is going to be around a full goal favorite and could get as high as a chalk by a goal and a half.
With most expecting Norwich to park the bus at the back and try to steal one on the counter, the total is probably going to be fairly low at 2.5 with relatively high vig on the under.
Tournament History
The Canaries haven't had a great history in the FA Cup, but they also haven't had a lot of good fortune either. This is four-consecutive years that they've drawn against a Premier League team in the third round of this competition.
The last time Norwich won a match in the FA Cup was back in the 2012-13 season. That year, the Canaries disposed of Peterborough United 3-0 on the road before losing at home to Luton Town in the fourth round.
Norwich City hasn't won a match at Carrow Road in the FA Cup since January 7, 2012 against Burnley.
Chelsea was given a tremendously easy draw to get into the quarterfinals of the FA Cup last year. In the end, the Blues got all the way to the finale before losing to Arsenal, but at least they had tough challenges from Manchester United and Tottenham at home before heading to Wembley.
The Blues haven't been bounced out of the third-round of the FA Cup since they drew home against Manchester United in the third round in 1998.
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This Norwich side has been in decent form defensively. The team has allowed 30 goals in 25 matches in the Championship this season, and that's a testament to the play of Timm Klose and the rest of the Canaries at the back.
Offensively, this is a far different team. Nelson Olivera and Steven Naismith should be producing more goals than they are at this level, and that can't be a good sign against a good defensive team.
The best play is clearly on the under in this fixture. Chelsea has only allowed 14 goals in 21 matches in the top-flight, and its offense isn't really good enough to put up three or four goals on the road in a dangerous match. A 5-0 win over Stoke City might be a bit deceiving, especially since this team is stuck going on the road.
Especially if Alvaro Morata ends up sitting out this fixture, something that is entirely possible so early in the FA Cup, the Blues could be lost on the offensive end of the pitch. Maybe Chelsea manages to get a 1-0 win on the road, but we wouldn't be shocked if this duel resulted in 90 scoreless minutes, setting up a replay back at Stamford Bridge.
FA Cup Odds: Chelsea 1, Norwich City 0
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