Championship Tips: Back Lincoln to get off the mark at Sincil Bank

Birmingham vs Bristol City - Sturdy Blues to withstand the Robins' barrage

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Saturday, 12:30

Birmingham were considered a bit of a 'soft touch' last season, particularly on the road, but they appear to have toughened up this time around and come off the back of consecutive away clean sheets. There is still work to do in the transfer market, although Max Bird arrives from this weekend's opposition and may be handed his St. Andrews debut here.

Last season, the Blues won 52% of their matches here, and were victorious when these sides met at the end of April. Despite their troubles on the road, they were tough to breach here, conceding 2+ goals on just four occasions, including against Coventry, Middlesbrough and Hull.

Michael Skubala may have to forego his honeymoon period at Ashton Gate. The former Lincoln boss has seen his side dumped out of the League Cup by Walsall, and go down to ten men at home to Millwall last weekend. The new arrivals are still settling in, and although there is some encouragement, they will be without Adam Randell for this. It's hard to see them turning it around here.

Lincoln vs Portsmouth - Impressive Imps to surprise Pompey

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Saturday, 12:30

Lincoln may have lost their opening Championship fixture, yet they didn't look out of place in the second tier. Despite losing Jack Moylan to Cardiff, they still produced plenty of quality going forward, and Freddie Draper looked sharp before tiring in the second half. They've added reinforcements this week with the loan arrival of Yunus Konak, who joins from Brighton.

They are a well-coached team, and their momentum should not be checked by last weekend's loss at the Riverside.

John Mousinho wasn't particularly pleased with his side's defending at Fratton Park last weekend. They switched off at key moments and allowed the R's to net three times. The good news is that Josh Murphy came off the bench and is back in contention here. The bad news is that Colby Bishop continues to be fairly ineffective and goal-shy.

The fans would like to see a little more quality added to their defence, and another striker through the door before Deadline Day. This will not be a straightforward task for a side who look short on confidence at the back.

Millwall vs Norwich - Canaries to provide a stern test for the Lions

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Saturday, 12:30

We can't read too much into Millwall's 2-0 victory at Ashton Gate last weekend as they were given a helping hand by Adam Randell's avoidable dismissal in the first half. The Lions are formidable on the road, but they are slightly less effective on their own patch at the moment.

They lost four of their last eight here, including a 2-1 defeat to Norwich. The Canaries return to Bermondsey and will be keen to bounce back from their defeat to WBA. Philippe Clement can't be too unhappy with his side's display with the East Anglians simply failing to take their chances and falling victim to a fantastic backs-to-the-wall performance from the Baggies.

The visitors will look to keep the ball on the deck and are likely to utilise the width of the pitch. This is likely to prove fruitful against a robust but potentially slow back-line.

Millwall should play their part in an entertaining game, but without Crama, Azeez, Doughty and Mazou-Sacko, they could be a little light on numbers.

Blackburn vs Middlesbrough - Mowbray's attacking style to provide a decent match-up

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Saturday, 15:00

Despite working with a limited squad, Tony Mowbray managed to oversee an eye-catching opening weekend performance at Molineux. Blackburn did look a little vulnerable at the back, but their attacking instincts were sharp and they frequently troubled the Wolves defence.

They managed to register five shots on target and used the width of the pitch with, Morishita and Afolayan causing issues throughout the 90 minutes. Mowbray sides tend to play front-footed, easy-on-the-eye football and that feels like a good match-up for Middlesbrough, who tend to prefer it when the game opens up.

Boro got off to a winning start, yet they had to work hard for their three points. Will Lankshear is proving an effective signing and the introduction of Riley McGree off the bench will please the fans. Historically, this has been a low-scoring fixture, but the previous incarnations of Rovers have been stodgy and uninspiring. This should be different.

Derby vs Cardiff - Neither defence to keep a clean sheet at Pride Park

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Saturday, 15:00

It's been a forgettable start for John Eustace's Derby County. The Rams were dumped out of the League Cup despite going off as odds-on favourites and found themselves on the wrong end of a tight game at the Valley last weekend.

There isn't anything to be overly concerned about at this stage of the season, with many fans acknowledging that it is simply teething problems. However, they need to add more wide options to the XI, and they look a little more vulnerable at set-pieces without the services of Matt Clarke.

Luckily, Cardiff aren't direct and this feels like a good match-up for both teams.

The Bluebirds showed tremendous resilience and determination to avoid defeat against Wrexham on Monday, although they cannot afford to make an equally slow start to this contest. They play fantastic football, and are likely to find pockets of space to hurt the hosts.

Preston vs Wolves - PNE to make it tough for the relegated side

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Saturday, 15:00

PNE opened their campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Bolton. Paul Heckingbottom's side improved as the match progressed, taking eight of their ten shots in the second period. Scoring goals could be an issue for PNE this season, with wantaway striker Milutin Osmajic likely to leave before the end of the month. Nevertheless, Heckingbottom will probably opt to shuffle his pack here, perhaps acknowledging that he made a few mistakes with his starting XI at the Tough Sheet.

Odel Offiah is likely to come in, and new boys Leo Leroy and Jusef Erabi probably did enough to earn a starting place this weekend. Harry Clarke may also come into contention after joining from Ipswich.

Wolves required a late penalty to rescue a point against Blackburn last weekend. They created plenty of chances, but they also looked susceptible at the back and it may take them a few weeks to get up to speed. It's hard to know what to expect from this team as there are likely to be a few more changes to the squad before the beginning of September.

They do have undoubted quality and may be forced to use some of it from the bench if things aren't going their way in this fixture.

QPR vs Bolton - Entertaining affair in West London

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Saturday, 15:00

QPR were involved in an entertaining game with Portsmouth last weekend, winning 3-1 at Fratton Park. A total xG of 4.24 suggests that it was an open and end-to-end affair, with chances at both ends. The R's still have a few injury issues, yet they looked sharp going forward, helped by the return of Ilias Chair, who looked hungry. They also appear to have found the perfect spot for Harvey Vale, who was effective at the base of the midfield.

Bolton got off the mark at the first attempt courtesy of a fast start. The Trotters looked good going forward, Thierry Gale and Gaizka Larrazabal causing problems in wide areas.

There should be more to come from Steven Schumacher's side with new signings bedding in, and they should deliver us plenty of memorable matches this season.

I expect this to be a surprisingly good game.

Southampton vs Stoke - Saints to bounce back from the opening weekend defeat

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Saturday, 15:00

Southampton were caught out by Watford's intensity last weekend as the Saints were left floundering at Vicarage Road. On another day, they could have taken a point back to St. Mary's with Taylor Harwood-Bellis squandering a late chance. The defender has been linked with Benfica this week and should he leave the club, that will leave the hosts a little light on dependable defenders.

Even during their fantastic second half of the season sequence last year, Tonda Eckert's side frequently dropped points on the road, conceding preventable goals along the way, so Sunday's outcome wasn't a complete surprise.

At home, they were far more reliable, and I expect them to respond to that setback. A few changes are likely, with Finn Azaz likely to start this one.

Stoke were defeated by Swansea and although they've added George Hirst this week, that won't stop them from looking vulnerable at the back. Nevertheless, they are always happy to attack down the flanks and should have enough to get on the scoresheet.

Swansea vs Sheffield United - Blades to leave South Wales potentially empty-handed

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Saturday, 15:00

Swansea got off to the perfect start with a 2-1 victory over Stoke. Vitor Matos' side were far stronger at home last season, and this looks like a good opportunity to make it back-to-back Championship victories. They have used Jamestown Analytics to recruit players this summer and the early signs are positive. The new recruits look smart, and they still have several talented and reliable players including Josh Tymon, Zan Vipotnik and Marco Stamenic.

Defensively, they have personnel issues with several early-season injuries preventing them from naming their first-choice back four, yet they should have enough going forward to take maximum points.

Sheffield United picked up a point in a low-quality affair last weekend. The Blades struggled last season and there are still a few off-field issues to be decided in the coming weeks. They lost here last season by a single goal, but I think the Swans look better, and more organised this time around. I think they can prevail.

West Ham vs Charlton - Hammers to secure their first win of the campaign

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Saturday, 15:00

West Ham squandered a two-goal advantage against Burnley and looked a little uncomfortable in the second half. It is surely just teething problems for Nuno's men, who have added Joel Piroe this week and have sold Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Aston Villa. Squad churn is unlikely to help with consistency, nor is Nuno's preference for counter-attacking football.

Charlton are likely to follow the same blueprint as last season. They will pick up the majority of their points at the Valley, but they will make it difficult for the opposition at all times. They took points off Ipswich, Middlesbrough and Southampton last season on the road, so they will not make it easy for the Hammers.

The recently relegated side should have enough quality to squeeze through, but it won't be straightforward.

Wrexham vs Watford - Another chaotic meeting between these two sides

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Saturday, 15:00

Wrexham got off to a fast start against Cardiff on Monday night, yet they failed to build on that dominance. Phil Parkinson's side have plenty of attacking talent, and their home matches last season were far more chaotic than their games on the road, many of which they controlled.

Danny Imray made an encouraging debut and Keiffer Moore was lethal when called upon. They should be able to pick holes in the Watford defence, which is fairly inexperienced.

The Hornets were mesmerising going forward last weekend against Southampton, showing some individual quality in the final third. They suffered a few injuries at the back, including Marc Bola, who had already made an encouraging start to the campaign.

Last season, the games between these two sides finished 3-1 and 2-2 and with neither side looking assured at the back, I would suggest backing another open affair in North Wales with the home side likely to shade it.

West Brom vs Burnley - BTTS at the Hawthorns

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Sunday, 12:00

West Brom defended brilliantly to deny Norwich an opening-day victory at Carrow Road. Under James Morrison, the Baggies are one of the hardest-working sides in the division and will be a match for most sides this season. They have added some flair this season and new signings Jimmy-Jay Morgan and Felix Horn Myhre could easily be breakout stars. Nolan Galves has also slotted in seamlessly.

WBA are likely to be set up to work effectively on the road, but they aren't just about defensive organisation. They will create chances and ask questions of Burnley's defence here.

The Clarets deserved their points last weekend. It wasn't a vintage performance, but for an opening display under new management, they can be relatively pleased with the outcome. There is still plenty of squad churn likely to occur before the end of the month, but Zian Flemming, Marcus Edwards and Max Alleyne will be handy at this level and Josh Laurent came off the bench to add yet more Championship experience.

They don't look entirely convincing at the back, so this could be another game in which they concede.

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