The Sky Bet Championship weekend continues on Saturday afternoon when 10 of the 12 matches in the latest round of games take place with sides looking to either maintain good starts or get their campaigns up and running.
We are getting used to the extra TV matches in this division this season and there are another three for us to enjoy on Saturday for those with more than one device. The other games will have the usual updates in the normal places.
Saturday’s fixtures are as follows: (3pm unless stated; UK TV in brackets)
Bristol City vs Coventry City (12.30pm – Sky Sports+)
Hull City vs Millwall (12.30pm – Sky Sports+)
QPR vs Plymouth Argyle (12.30pm – Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Football)
Blackburn Rovers vs Oxford United
Middlesbrough vs Portsmouth
Norwich City vs Sheffield United
Preston North End vs Luton Town
Stoke City vs West Bromwich Albion
Sunderland vs Burnley
Watford vs Derby County
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Big Matches
The main TV match on Saturday afternoon comes from Loftus Road where Wayne Rooney will be looking for a first league win in charge of Plymouth Argyle when he takes his side to the capital to go up against Queens Park Rangers, who themselves are without a win this season. Bristol City and Coventry City were both winners last week and they will be looking to pick up another Championship three points when they go up against each other at Ashton Gate while the other TV game sees two winless sides battling it out when Hull City play host to Millwall. The top two in the table meet at the Stadium of Light where Sunderland welcome Burnley.
Best of the Rest
Watford are the only other side with a 100% record this season and they will be looking for a third win from three matches when they host promoted Derby County who got off the mark for the season last week. Relegated sides Sheffield United and Luton Town will be looking for three points when they go on their travels on Saturday afternoon. The Blades take on Norwich City while the Hatters have a trip to Deepdale where Paul Heckingbottom takes charge of Preston North End for the first time. Middlesbrough will be looking to bounce back from their defeat at Derby last week when Portsmouth make the long trip to the Riverside while Blackburn Rovers take on the other promoted side in Oxford United.
Betting
I like three bets in the Championship on Saturday afternoon with the first one coming at Ashton Gate where I think goals could well be on the menu. Both these sides have scored goals last week and conceded them as well and that makes me think that over 2.5 goals is a good thing here. I mentioned in my outright preview how I see both these teams as progressive ones and Bristol City showed that with that 4-3 win over Millwall last week while Coventry City showed their class against Oxford United in a match they could have won much easier than the 3-2 scoreline they eventually came out on top by. Both teams look good going forward but vulnerable at the back and that is a classic combination for goals. I think we can ignore the EFL Cup game between these two earlier in the month because both made wholesale changes. It will be first XIs all the way here and they can combine for more than 2.5 goals.
I also like goals at Ewood Park where Blackburn Rovers have come out of the traps like a house on fire this term in terms of scoring goals. They have netted six in the two league matches and doubled that in one game in the EFL Cup and with promoted Oxford United visiting this part of Lancashire I expect the goals to flow once again. While Blackburn look great going forward, even without Sammie Szmodics, who didn’t start either league game, they have looked all over the shop defensively and there is no doubt that Oxford can exploit that. The Us have scored twice in both league games on their return to the Championship and that bodes well but Coventry City could have had so many more than the three they scored last week had it not been for their goalkeeper having a night out. This looks another prime candidate for goals.
The last of the three bets that I like comes at Deepdale where I think Luton Town can get the first win of their season when they go up against a Preston North End side who haven’t scored in seven Championship matches either side of the summer. They will be hoping that there is a new manager bounce under Paul Heckingbottom but you would imagine that he is going to look to sort them out at the back before he concentrates on them going forward. That back line is going to be tested here because Luton are one of the stronger attacking sides in this league in terms of personnel and some of the football they played at Portsmouth last week before they went down to 10 men was of a really high quality. They have filled some voids in the transfer window in midweek so they should be stronger than before here. It remains to be seen if and when Preston will improve under Heckingbottom but I don’t foresee it happening immediately. They have only registered four shots on target so far this season which isn’t great. With some draw cover I think Luton can add to the Preston misery here.
Tips
Back Bristol City vs Coventry City – Over 2.5 goals for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Unibet
Back Blackburn Rovers vs Oxford United – Over 2.75 goals for a 3/10 stake at 1.95 with William Hill
Back it here:
Back Luton Town (-0.25AH) to beat Preston North End for a 3/10 stake at 1.95 with Bet365
