Championship Betting Tips: Norwich to struggle on the road again

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Lincoln vs Southampton - Saints to squeeze past the determined hosts

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Saturday, 12:30

Lincoln have recorded back-to-back clean sheets and have picked up four points so far. Their last two games have been against teams that are expected to be around them in the bottom third of the Championship table, so this fixture is likely to be a step up. The Imps gave Middlesbrough a tough time on the opening day, and they will not make it easy for the Saints.

They have an abundance of strikers at the club, including their latest recruit Mikkel Ladefoged, but they will need one of their forwards to start hitting the target on a regular basis.

Southampton put in a slightly underwhelming performance on the road at St. Andrews and will be keen to bounce back. They managed to improve their away form towards the end of last season, although they always tend to give away a few chances.

I think the visitors can win this game, and the strength of their bench is likely to make the difference. A narrow margin success for Tonda Eckert's side feels like the most logical option.

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Preston vs Blackburn - Points shared between the two strugglers

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Saturday, 12:30

Both sets of fans were disappointed by their club's transfer business this summer. PNE gave it a go, but they missed out on a few of their targets and had to settle for Liam Gibbs and Jonny Kenny. Caleb Wiley arrived from Chelsea, and is already off the mark, having notched against Bristol City in midweek.

PNE do have goals in them and they always feel like to get on the scoresheet at Deepdale. Keeping the opposition at arm's length is their biggest issue and they were sloppy at the back once again in midweek.

Luckily for the hosts, Blackburn are struggling for firepower, and have very few reinforcements to call upon. They started the season positively, but the last two performances have been fairly underwhelming, and their squad simply isn't big enough to navigate these busy periods.

There is rarely much between these sides and Blackburn are unbeaten in the last three. This should be close.

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Stoke vs Charlton - Very little between these two sides

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Saturday, 12:30

Stoke finally got off the mark in midweek with a hard-earned victory here against Norwich. It wasn't pretty and they had to dig deep, but Mark Robins will have been delighted to finally pick up maximum points. They have lost Sorba Thomas in the transfer window and they will have to replace his creativity over the coming weeks.

Charlton are incredibly tough to beat, and they battled back from a goal down to pick up a point at the Hawthorns in midweek. It's a quick turnaround for Nathan Jones' side, but they now have a deep enough squad, and they will be desperate to preserve their unbeaten start. This could be tight.

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Burnley vs Bristol City - Entertaining 90 minutes expected at Turf Moor

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Saturday, 15:00

Burnley's defending has been questionable so far this season. The Clarets have had some tough fixtures in August, yet they've averaged 2.5 goals per game with an xGA of 5.40. Max Weiss has made few notable saves this season and they look far too easy to breach.

At the other end of the pitch, they have been far more effective, although Zian Flemming's exit, coupled with no further incomings, may leave them short in this key area. Nevertheless, they should be able to get on the scoresheet here against a Bristol City side who have an xGA of 8.20, the highest in the division.

In Rio Cardines, the Robins have found a right-back who can provide regular assists and they are a real threat from set-piece situations. They should be able to play their part in an end-to-end contest, in which both sides are expected to notch.

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Millwall vs Bolton - Trotters to thwart the Lions for large periods

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Saturday, 15:00

It hasn't been the start to the season that Millwall fans would have envisaged. Although the Lions have missed a few chances, and Tairyk Conte looks like a decent addition, they have struggled to match the heights of last season and an injury crisis has engulfed the squad with Josh Coburn the latest player to suffer a setback. Alex Neil's side are a short price to collect three points here, and they should get the job done, but Bolton could be quite effective at frustrating them and restricting opportunities.

The Lions managed just eight touches in the opposition's box against Wrexham during the first half and failed to register a shot on target. They will need to be more creative if they wish to break down's Bolton's defence.

I expect them to eventually break through and take full control of the game.

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Portsmouth vs Cardiff - Pompey and Bluebirds to serve up a cracker

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Saturday, 15:00

Pompey have lost three of their first four Championship matches, including each of their first two home games. John Mousinho's side are most effective when they're facing a possession-based side who will give them opportunities to counter. They are at their worst if they are given license to dictate and expected to keep the ball.

Cardiff will do most of the attacking in this game as Brian Barry-Murphy's side continue to play with their distinct style. They will fashion opportunities for themselves, and they should be able to find a way past a home defence which is conceding a minimum of two goals per game.

Conversely, they will give Pompey opportunities to break, and they should have enough quality to exploit those gaps and take full advantage.

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QPR vs Middlesbrough - R's to give Boro a tough test

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Saturday, 15:00

QPR have been one of the standout sides of the season so far. The R's have a settled squad and plenty of talent in all areas of the field. They are far more cohesive this season and still have a handful of players to return from injury. Only four teams have scored more goals, and only Swansea have conceded fewer. They aren't commanding much possession, yet they are finding ways to hurt teams.

This is their toughest test so far, but they should rise to the challenge.

Middlesbrough had a difficult game against Burnley on Wednesday night, and were also beaten on the road by Blackburn. This won't be easy for Kim Hellberg's side, and they may not find this game straightforward.

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Sheffield United vs Norwich - Tenacious Blades to give Norwich a tough time

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Saturday, 15:00

Sheffield United's transfer window was exceptionally poor, with off-field circumstances dictating player sales. They have relied on the loan market, and added some free transfers and although the squad looks weaker than 12 months ago, the majority of the players are clearly playing for Chris Wilder and the experienced gaffer has managed to foster plenty of positivity.

They battled away on Tuesday night, coming from behind twice to win 3-2 and they remain unbeaten in their first four encounters.

Norwich have been exceptional at Carrow Road, but below par on the road. They failed to create anything of note against Stoke, playing straight into the Potters' hands. Philippe Clement left his subs too late, and he may opt to make changes here. Nevertheless, the improving hosts could have too much for them.

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West Brom vs Watford - Morrison's men to make a mockery of the tough schedule

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Saturday, 15:00

West Brom have made a decent start to the season and they've made some sensible and targeted acquisitions which have undoubtedly improved the squad.

Jimmy Jay-Morgan has been a fantastic pickup, with Isaac Price and Ousmane Diakite also catching the eye.

Unlike last season, the Baggies are scoring goals, and creating chances and they should be able to take advantage of a Watford outfit who looked a little jaded on Tuesday night.

The Hornets have a total xG of 3.90, largely relying on moments of individual brilliance. They've conceded an xGA of 7.20, with only Bristol City having a higher total so far. They should find it too tough at the Hawthorns.

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West Ham vs Derby - Another entertaining afternoon at the London Stadium

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Saturday, 15:00

Tuesday's victory against Wolves could be the result required to kickstart West Ham's season. It's still early days in the second tier, but the Hammers failed to match the pre-season expectations so far. Admittedly, the data suggests that they have been underperforming with Nuno's men having the sixth-highest xG (7.1) and averaging two goals per game. Divine Mukasa appears to have found his shooting boots at this level, and he could be key in helping to fire the Hammers back to the PL.

Derby kept their first clean sheet of the season in midweek, although this will be much tougher. They allowed Pompey 21 shots, and although they only conceded an xGA of 0.84, they still looked a little exposed at times.

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Swansea vs Wrexham - Swans to edge out their Welsh rivals

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Saturday, 20:00

It's been a fantastic start to the season for Swansea. They've conceded just a single goal so far and although they haven't had the toughest first four fixtures, they have built up a decent amount of confidence, and have multiple threats. They have the third-best xGA in the division behind Middlesbrough and today's guests, Wrexham.

The addition of Jamestown Analytics has significantly improved their recruitment, with Tom Iorpenda, Jenson Seelt and Stephen Eustaquio the latest additions to the squad.

Wrexham failed to win any of their first three games before getting back on track with a thumping victory on Wednesday night. They have also recruited well, but there are questions about Phil Parkinson's ability to adapt and be flexible. If they cannot find a way through, he may just throw some attacking players onto the field and hope for the best.

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Birmingham vs Wolves - BTTS in this Midlands meeting

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Sunday, 12:00

Birmingham are still unbeaten after four matches, yet Chris Davies remains under pressure. Although he hasn't helped himself at times, he has been hamstrung by the underwhelming recruitment this summer. The Blues have added numerous players, but with only Liam Millar arriving on Deadline Day, the fans were left wanting more.

The XI is decent, but there is a lack of depth and a few injuries may expose the lack of numbers. Nevertheless, they are playing with plenty of purpose and were the better side against Southampton in midweek. Despite decent xGA numbers, they have conceded in both of their home matches, and it's difficult to imagine them keeping the visitors off the scoresheet here.

Wolves games have been fairly crazy so far, and there have been 19 goals across their first four outings. I expect this one to follow suit.

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Take a look at this weekend's best football betting tips

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