Derby vs. Middlesbrough (Saturday, 12.30pm)
© Reuters
Aiming to build on their EFL Cup success in the week, Derby County will fight for their maiden victory of the Championship season as they welcome an in-form Middlesbrough side to Pride Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Rams suffered a losing start on their return to the second tier last weekend, whereas Boro recorded a narrow win over Swansea City to commence their competitive schedule.
We say: Derby County 1-3 Middlesbrough
Derby were defensively naive during their opening match against Blackburn last Friday, and such a display once again will lead to the same result.
Middlesbrough have arguably been the standout performer in the EFL so far this season, and Carrick's troops should have enough firepower to record maximum points in the Midlands on Saturday.
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Portsmouth vs. Luton (Saturday, 12.30pm)
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Portsmouth and Luton Town will both be targeting their first wins of the 2024-25 season when they face off in Saturday's clash at Fratton Park.
Pompey began their Championship campaign with a 3-3 draw against Leeds United, while Luton fell to a heavy 4-1 defeat in their home meeting with Burnley.
We say: Portsmouth 2-2 Luton Town
Luton will be keen to produce a positive response after their disappointing start to the new season, but having failed to win any of their last nine away games against Portsmouth, we think the visitors may have to settle for a share of the spoils on Saturday.
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West Brom vs. Leeds (Saturday, 12.30pm)
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Back at the The Hawthorns for the first time this season, West Bromwich Albion will test their promotion-winning credentials against Leeds United in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.
A much-changed Baggies side exited the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, with the Whites suffering a shock home defeat to Middlesbrough as they were also dumped out of the competition.
We say: West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Leeds United
After producing a dominant display at QPR last weekend, West Brom should be full of confidence as they aim to conquer one of their promotion rivals at The Hawthorns.
Leeds could be rocked after the heavy loss to Middlesbrough on Wednesday, and without the quality of Rutter in attack, we can see Farke's side just about battling to a point in the Black Country.
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Bristol City vs. Millwall (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Bristol City and Millwall square off at The Den on Saturday afternoon each looking for their first Championship victory of the season.
While the Robins also failed to progress in the EFL Cup, the visitors at least managed to get back on track with victory in that competition.
We say: Bristol City 1-1 Millwall
As two outside playoff candidates, both teams will recognise the importance of getting a win on the board. However, we feel that they could play out a hard-fought stalemate which may not feature many goals.
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Burnley vs. Cardiff (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Saturday afternoon will see Turf Moor welcome Championship football back to its grounds after a one-year absence, with Burnley taking on Cardiff City for second-tier points.
The Clarets were convincing winners at the home of Luton Town on Monday night, whilst the Bluebirds suffered disappointment during their opening match of the 2024-25 season last weekend.
We say: Burnley 2-0 Cardiff City
Burnley made Turf Moor a fortress during their title-winning campaign of 2022-23, and we are expecting a similar story for the Clarets this time around.
Cardiff have been unconvincing to date this season, so we cannot envisage them collecting any points during a trip to one of the favourites for automatic promotion.
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Norwich vs. Blackburn (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Norwich City play host to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon looking to bounce back from their opening-weekend defeat in the Championship.
The Canaries take on a team in Blackburn who have scored goals for fun during their first two games of the season in all competitions.
We say: Norwich City 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
While Norwich could improve under their new boss as the games pass by, it may not come in time for Saturday's fixture. Blackburn have looked hugely impressive over the past week and we are backing them to earn another victory on their travels.
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Plymouth vs. Hull City (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Plymouth Argyle and Hull City meet at Home Park on Saturday afternoon looking to record their first Championship win of the season.
Although Plymouth were able to get back on track in the EFL Cup, the same cannot be said for their opponents who bowed out of the competition.
We say: Plymouth Argyle 1-2 Hull City
With a convincing win under their belt on Wednesday, Rooney will be confident of replicating that performance in the league. However, we feel that Hull may have too much quality for their hosts, even if they are still familiarising themselves with their new boss.
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Sheff Utd vs. QPR (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Aiming to make it back-to-back Championship victories to start the season and three straight wins in all competitions, Sheffield United will welcome Queens Park Rangers to Bramall Lane on Saturday.
The Blades marked their return to England's second tier with a 2-0 away victory over Preston North End last weekend, while their visitors fell short at home to West Bromwich Albion.
We say: Sheffield United 2-0 Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers certainly have cause for optimism for the new season under Cifuentes, despite a slow start, but we see the hosts having too much quality and back Sheffield United to prevail at Bramall Lane with momentum growing.
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Swansea vs. Preston (Saturday, 3.00pm)
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Swansea City and Preston North End meet on Saturday afternoon each looking to respond to opening-weekend defeats in the Championship.
However, both teams got back on track in the EFL Cup in midweek, providing them with something to build on ahead of the game in South Wales.
We say: Swansea City 2-1 Preston North End
Having gotten the better of Sunderland, Preston will believe that they can build on that success. However, Swansea's greater stability under Williams could prove key here, leading us to predict a home win.
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Watford vs. Stoke (Saturday, 3.00pm)
![Watford head coach Tom Cleverley during the EFL Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Watford at The Den, London, England on August 10, 2024. [on August 11, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/32/tom-cleverley.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Watford head coach Tom Cleverley during the EFL Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Watford at The Den, London, England on August 10, 2024. [on August 11, 2024]")
© Imago
Both looking to maintain their 100% records across all competitions at the beginning of the 2024-25 term, Watford and Stoke City will clash in the Championship on Saturday afternoon at Vicarage Road.
The Hornets produced a five-star performance to advance into the next stage of the EFL Cup in midweek, whilst the Potters made easy work of fourth-tier opposition in the competition to progress.
We say: Watford 2-1 Stoke City
Scoring on eight occasions during their first two matches of the season, Watford have hit the ground running under the permanent stewardship of Cleverley.
Stoke have been rock solid on their return to competitive action, but we feel that the Potters will suffer their maiden loss of the season at Vicarage Road this weekend.
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Oliver Thomas
