Championship Tips: More misery for Nuno at the London Stadium

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Lincoln vs Blackburn - Direct Imps to clinch back-to-back victories

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Tuesday, 19:45

Lincoln secured their first Championship victory of the season on Saturday, beating Bolton 1-0 at the Tough Sheet. The Imps were disappointing at home last weekend. Still, they've looked excellent in both away fixtures, showing grit and determination and replicating last season's approach, which saw them break the 100-point barrier in League One.

This represents a different test for Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, who will be keen to pick up maximum points in front of a home crowd.

Tony Mowbray's Blackburn made a strong start to the season, drawing 2-2 with Wolves and then beating Middlesbrough, but the last couple of performances in both the League Cup and Championship haven't matched those displays.

There were just three outfield players on the bench at the weekend, with Yuki Ohashi, Dion De Neve, Harry Pickering and Hayden Carter being added to the injury list, and this quick turnaround is unlikely to help. Mowbray's sides play decent football, but they often struggle against direct competitors and this will be a tough 90 minutes against the highly-motivated hosts.

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Portsmouth vs Derby - Derby's defence to buckle under Pompey pressure

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Tuesday, 19:45

Pompey have not been particularly impressive recently, but they already have a victory to their name and they are creating chances. John Mousinho's side have struggled at the back, conceding sloppy goals, getting caught out from their own set-pieces, and not having the pace to get back in time. Nevertheless, this represents a winnable fixture and they will be looking to take advantage of Derby's early-season struggles.

John Eustace took full responsibility for Saturday's 3-0 loss at home to Swansea. Unusually for the Rams, they failed to show any adventure in the final third, taking just 12 touches in the opposition box, and attempting just eight shots.

Worrying times for Derby fans, and they are likely to struggle to deal with Pompey's set-piece threat.

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Preston vs Bristol City - PNE's poor start looks set to continue

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Tuesday, 19:45

Preston failed to trouble Charlton at the weekend, losing 1-0 at the Valley in a game which was largely devoid of quality. Paul Heckingbottom is already under pressure and his squad needs some serious reinforcements before the window closes.

There is no shame in losing to Wolves, but you cannot forgive a cumulative total of just six shots on target across their opening three matches. Their defence also looks shaky, with Liam Lindsay looking likely to make a mistake and Odel Offiah struggling to match last season's form.

Bristol City have significantly improved in the last ten days with Michael Skubala picking up his first win at the weekend. Both Dom Ballard and Lorant Tolaj are both off the mark, and Jason Knight is anchoring the midfield.

There isn't much between the two sides in the betting, but the visitors are far better equipped heading into this contest.

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Sheffield United vs Bolton - Low-scoring encounter at Bramall Lane

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Tuesday, 19:45

Sheffield United are yet to record a Championship victory, although they are also yet to be defeated. Their performance at Cardiff at the weekend was a little concerning, with the Blades struggling to get to grips with the Bluebirds, and managing just four shots on target.

Femi Seriki's injury is a blow and the squad looks a little short of depth. This Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday schedule is far from ideal for the Blades and Chris Wilder often makes wholesale changes for the midweek fixtures.

Bolton were defeated by Lincoln at the weekend, struggling to deal with the Imps' direct approach. Steven Schumacher's side are likely to be involved in plenty of low-margin games this season, and they could easily take something from this contest. Unlike Cardiff, they aren't likely to take the game to the hosts and this one could be evenly poised.

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Swansea vs Watford - BTTS in South Wales

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Tuesday, 19:45

Last season, Swansea were excellent at home, and fairly unreliable on the road. Vitor Matos' side have seemingly rectified those issues away from home, but it remains to be seen whether they can replicate last season's form at this venue.

They have recruited superbly this summer and Stephen Eustaquio, who joined this week, appears to be an excellent pickup. His cameo from the bench was impressive on Saturday, alongside Moussa Yeo, who also looks handy.

They have issues with personnel at the back, and their injury-hit defence could struggle to deal with Watford's individual brilliance on Tuesday night. The Hornets have negotiated a tough set of fixtures so far, beating Southampton, and picking up points against Wrexham and West Ham. This is another tricky test, but they should be able to show their attacking credentials.

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West Ham vs Wolves - No joy for Nuno against his former employers

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Tuesday, 19:45

West Ham's League Cup victory was soon forgotten with the Hammers struggling to get past Watford at the weekend. It's now three consecutive games without a victory for the East London club, and the fans are starting to get a little concerned.

In sharp contrast, Wolves have acclimatised to the second tier seamlessly, and although they dropped a couple of points on the opening weekend, they have looked extremely dangerous in the final third. Only Southampton and Millwall have a higher xG and only Middlesbrough have created more big chances than Cesar Peixoto's outfit.

Admittedly, they haven't faced particularly tough opposition yet, but they are dominating games and unlike West Ham, they are playing with confidence. The atmosphere could quickly turn sour inside the London Stadium on Tuesday night, and that is unlikely to help the hosts to settle.

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Birmingham vs Southampton - Expect a few goals at St. Andrews

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Tuesday, 20:00

Chris Davies has managed to relieve some of the pressure by overseeing an unexpected victory on Friday night. The squad are clearly behind the manager with every single player putting in an impressive shift and giving everything in North Wales.

Birmingham fans will be hoping that this performance was not a one-off, and they can follow it up with another positive display on Tuesday night.

It is a tough game for the hosts, although they remain unbeaten and I'm not keen to write them off in this one.

Southampton battered Millwall at St. Mary's and they will be full of confidence when they arrive in the West Midlands. Saints have a talented squad, yet their defence is far from secure and they found it difficult against Watford on the opening weekend. Brum could make it tricky for them and there have been plenty of goals when these sides have met recently. There have been 17 goals across the last four meetings.

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Stoke vs Norwich - Norwich to exploit Stoke's defensive weaknesses

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Tuesday, 20:00

Whatever happened at the Den has been long forgotten. Norwich put a woeful display firmly behind them with an emphatic performance at Carrow Road at the weekend. Philippe Clement's side were too quick and too sharp for the Clarets, and if they can replicate that fast start, they should have far too much for lowly Stoke.

The Potters sit bottom of the Championship table and are conceding too many goals. They've taken the lead in two of their first three matches, yet have failed to pick up a single point. They do have attacking talent in the squad, and could easily get on the scoresheet themselves, especially if Sorba Thomas continues to create havoc.

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Millwall vs Wrexham - Both sides to register at the Den

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Wednesday, 19:45

Millwall were on the end of an uncharacteristic hammering at the hands of Southampton at the weekend. The Lions weren't particularly poor, and could easily have been 2-0 up before the Saints hit top gear, and they will be keen to bounce back on Wednesday night.

They have taken more touches in the opposition box than any other Championship side, and they were excellent against Norwich in their previous home game.

Alex Neil's men are a threat from set-piece situations, and they will look to exploit Wrexham's weakness in this area. The men from North Wales have conceded the joint-most goals (3) from set-pieces and the hosts are likely to get some joy in this area.

Phil Parkinson's side have been effective in patches, but are yet to perform for a full 90 minutes. They should have enough to get on the scoresheet though.

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QPR vs Cardiff - Bluebirds' search for a clean sheet to continue

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Wednesday, 19:45

QPR have been very impressive so far this season and are still unbeaten. For the first time in many seasons, the West Londoners have strength-in-depth, and they are able to fill the bench with quality options. They were able to introduce Tariq Lamptey, and Glen Kamara on Saturday and they helped to turn the game in favour of the R's.

Cardiff are going to be one of the most entertaining teams in the second tier this season. Brian Barry-Murphy has set his side up to attack the opposition, and they are likely to create chances. They are averaging 6.7 shots on target per game, with only QPR firing in a higher amount.

Defensively, they can look exposed at times, but that's all part of the fun.

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West Brom vs Charlton - Baggies to edge past in-form Addicks

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Wednesday, 19:45

West Brom produced a tremendous first-half performance on Saturday lunchtime, but struggled to contain Middlesbrough in the second period. It may have been a game too far for James Morrison's men, who had opted for a strong line-up in the League Cup on Wednesday evening.

This is another fairly quick turnaround, but they should be able to make a few changes with Aune Heggebo, Kareem Tunde and Rabby Nzingoula all coming off the bench at the Riverside.

Charlton are top of the Championship table, picking up maximum points from their opening three fixtures. Nathan Jones made some tactical tweaks at the break to give his side a little more impetus in the second 45. This will be tougher, and they could struggle to contain the potentially freshened-up hosts.

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Burnley vs Middlesbrough - BTTS at Turf Moor

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Wednesday, 20:00

It's been a disappointing start for Nicky Hayen at Burnley with the club sat 22nd in the Championship table. They weren't particularly good value for their 2-2 draw with West Ham and have struggled in subsequent trips to West Brom and Norwich. They are conceding too many goals and appear to be a little disjointed.

They've conceded nine goals from an xG of 4.90 and will surely improve. However, their tough schedule continues when they host Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.

Middlesbrough bounced back from their loss to Blackburn with a 3-1 victory over a decent West Brom outfit. Kim Hellberg made changes in the second half after watching his team struggle in the first 45. Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten were introduced, and they helped to change the game.

Hellberg may opt to make a few changes to keep his side fresh, and they should have enough to trouble this unreliable Burnley backline.

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