Robins to puncture PNE's watertight defence
Bristol City 2.56/4 v Preston 3.211/5; The Draw 3.3512/5
Despite getting off to an incredibly shaky start, Bristol City currently find themselves firmly entrenched inside the play-offs. Nigel Pearson's side are still far from robust at the back, but they've managed to keep three consecutive clean sheets at Ashton Gate and will be confident of maintaining that streak on Saturday afternoon.
At the other end of the field, the Robins are on song. They're the joint-highest goalscorers in the division and have notched 2+ goals in six of their first eight matches. Tommy Conway's emergence has got the fans excited, whereas Alex Scott continues to ooze class in midfield. The return of Nahki Wells has also added an extra dimension to their attacking play, and they continue to create chances throughout the 90 minutes.
Across the last two Championship matches, they have created an xG of 3.1 and despite the visitor's defensive heroics, they should be able to find a way past Freddie Woodman.
Preston were beaten at Deepdale last weekend as they fell victim to a superb away day performance from Birmingham. PNE have scored just twice so far this season and although they are yet to be breached on their travels, keeping the shackles on their attack-minded hosts looks set to be an extremely tough ask.
Baggies to sneak past struggling Sky Blues
Coventry 3.412/5 v West Brom 2.285/4; The Draw 3.55/2
It's been a disappointing start to the season for Steve Bruce at West Brom with the Baggies sitting in midtable having collected just a single victory so far. The visitors have been producing some decent xG numbers with only Norwich having fired in more shots than the Midlands outfit so far.
Although a lack of a potent striker has held them back so far this season, the Sky Blues should have too much quality for their out-of-form hosts. John Swift created eight chances against Burnley last weekend and the Coventry defence may struggle to keep tabs on the former Reading playmaker.
Mark Robins' side haven't been helped by the schedule. However, they have looked far from accomplished so far. Their defence has been incredibly shaky and with an xGA of 3.5 across their last two matches, they are likely to struggle at the CBS on Saturday.
Tight 90 minutes at the DW
Wigan 2.3811/8 v Blackburn 3.55/2; The Draw 3.39/4
Wigan have made a good start to the season and Leam Richardson will be pleased by the way his side have adapted to the rigours of the second tier. He opted to leave Graeme Shinnie, Nathan Broadhead and Joe Bennett on the bench last weekend and his second half changes helped to swing the match in his side's favour.
Matches involving the Latics have been extremely tight and cagey with only one of their opening seven matches featuring four or more goals. They have also drawn four times and have suffered just a single defeat.
Blackburn were involved in a topsy-turvy clash with Bristol City last weekend. Jon Dahl Tomasson's side haven't been completely convincing and have netted just three times across their last five outings. Although they've shown what they can do in flashes, they could find it tough to pick up all three points at the DW.
Another BTTS away day for Boro
Blackpool 3.55/2 v Middlesbrough 2.265/4; The Draw 3.4549/20
Blackpool were lucky to take all three points back across the Pennines last weekend and Michael Appleton will demand a much-improved performance from his side on Saturday afternoon. The Seasiders have been far from convincing at Bloomfield Road so far this season and they have failed to win any of their last three matches at this venue. Nevertheless, they have shown a willingness to attack and have scored seven times across their last four matches.
Boro picked up just their second win of the campaign on Monday night, although the performance was far from convincing. Nevertheless, Chris Wilder will be pleased with the clean sheet and he will ask his side to build on that success. The Teessiders have struggled on their travels and have been breached on eight occasions so far. A second consecutive shutout appears unlikely.
Hatters to pick up at least a point
Stoke 2.3611/8 v Luton 3.185/40; The Draw 3.211/5
Nathan Jones returns to Staffordshire on Saturday afternoon and, although the Welshman has been linked with a move to Brighton this week, he is likely to be fully focused on trying to take three points back to Bedfordshire. He was left bitterly disappointed by his side's second half display seven days ago, and having masterminded consecutive away victories, the Hatters boss will have a plan in place for this contest.
It hasn't gone according to plan for Alex Neil at Stoke so far. Although it is still early days, the squad doesn't look effectively equipped for Neil's favoured style of play. The Potters have produced an xG of just 1.7 across their last two games and need to show more adventure in the final third.
Bluebirds' struggles to continue
Cardiff [2.1 v Hull 4.216/5; The Draw 3.3512/5
Cardiff signed Callum Robinson on Deadline Day with Steve Morison hoping that the former Preston winger can help the Bluebirds improve their output in the final third. The Welshmen have scored the second fewest goals in the division (4) and have also had a fewest shots on target (20) so far.
They've also significantly underperformed their xG and it's been a hugely frustrating period for both the fans and management team. They've lost three of their last four matches and although Robinson's arrival could spark an upturn in their fortunes, it is unlikely to happen immediately.
Hull's recent performances have been a tad concerning but Shota Arveladze's side continue to create chances. The Tigers have a number of injury problems to contend with, however, they will have benefitted from a quiet midweek and should have too much quality for their hosts.
Blades to put on another home masterclass
Sheffield United 1.548/15 v Rotherham 76/1; The Draw 4.57/2
Sheffield United continue to impress and, with several of their potential promotion rivals having struggled for consistency so far this season, the Blades have displayed their title credentials. They've scored the joint-highest number of goals in the second tier (16) and are now unbeaten in each of their last seven outings. Crucially, they've conceded just once in their last four matches and look extremely effective at both ends of the field.
Rotherham continue to carve out a reputation for being both hard to beat and difficult to play against. The Millers are well-organised under Paul Warne and can be incredibly dangerous from set-piece situations. They will find this tough, but they aren't likely to go down without a fight.
Hornets to sneak past Royals
Watford 1.748/11 v Reading 5.95/1; The Draw 3.6553/20
Watford have been far from convincing so far this campaign, but Rob Edwards' side have been more effective at Vicarage Road. The Hornets have managed to keep hold of Ismaila Sarr and Joao Pedro. Edwards is now able to concentrate on managing his squad without worrying about potential departures.
They've won three of their first four home matches and with the exception of their collapse against QPR, they've looked reasonably assured at the back.
Reading continued their superb start to the season on Sunday as they edged past Stoke at the Madjeski. The Royals have Lucas Joao back in the squad and the Portuguese striker makes a significant difference to their forward line. Paul Ince's side have been excellent in Berkshire, but they've scored just once on the road and may just fall short.
Stalemate at the Stadium of Light
Sunderland 2.285/4 v Millwall 3.613/5; The Draw 3.412/5
Sunderland failed to find any rhythm on Monday night as they slumped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the Riverside Stadium. Ross Stewart's injury is a significant blow to their chances over the next couple of weeks and coupled with Dennis Cirkin's absence, Tony Mowbray's tenure in Wearside has got off to a tough start. Nevertheless, the Black Cats have suffered just a single defeat here and all three of their losses this campaign have been by a single goal margin.
Millwall have been one of the most disappointing sides in the division across the opening seven matches. Gary Rowett's side did pick up a crucial win last weekend and managed to keep a clean sheet. They have failed to score in three of first four away matches. However, they could easily keep things tight in this one.
Low-scoring 90 minutes at St. Andrews
Birmingham 32/1 v Swansea 2.568/5; The Draw 3.39/4
Birmingham picked up an unexpected victory at Deepdale last weekend and John Eustace will have been delighted by his side's performance on the road. Brum aren't going to score many goals this season, although they are always likely to make it tough for the opposition, particularly in front of their own fans. The arrival of Tahith Chong should add some much needed thrust going forward whereas Krystian Bielik's return to fitness is a much-needed boost.
Swansea's performances have improved lately with Russell Martin's side commanding far less possession. The Swans were victorious against QPR last weekend and having conceded just seven times across their last six matches, they have looked far more assured at the back recently.
QPR to bounce back from disappointing display
QPR 1.875/6 v Huddersfield 4.67/2; The Draw 3.814/5
QPR were extremely disappointing last weekend as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Swansea. Mick Beale's men have tended to respond positively to setbacks this season and this appears to be a favourable fixture for the West Londoners. At home, they've netted seven times and have a number of attack-minded players in their squad. The hosts have also been fairly accurate with their efforts this season with 38.5% of their shots testing the opposition goalkeeper.
Huddersfield were left aggrieved by a technological blip last weekend. Danny Schofield's men produced plenty of opportunities against Blackpool, but they weren't able to find a way through. Away from home, they've been poor and have conceded at least two goals in each of their first three matches outside of West Yorkshire.
Jack's 2021/22 Profit/Loss:
Staked: 72.00
Returned: 74.92
P/L: +2.92