A full programme of Championship fixtures take place over the course of this midweek, with some intriguing early-season match-ups in prospect.
Such is the competitive nature of the division that after just two games, no team has a 100 per cent record.
Fulham – 6/5 to be promoted – are currently perched top on goal difference following their 5-1 hammering of Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
West London rivals QPR occupy the other top-two spot, with Mick McCarthy’s Cardiff City in third.
At the wrong end of the table, Nottingham Forest and Preston North End – 3/1 to be relegated – are pointless after two games, while six other teams have picked up a solitary point thus far.
Goalscoring an Issue for Blades
The most eye-catching match this midweek probably comes from The Hawthorns, where relegated duo West Brom and Sheffield United face off on Wednesday.
Valerien Ismael – taken from Barnsley this summer – has already started with a bang and his high-energy, attacking brand of football has already been embraced by his Albion squad.
Following a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on the opening day, the Baggies beat Luton Town 3-2 on Saturday and look well set for this season.
Slavisa Jokanovic is an excellent appointment for the Blades on paper, but his squad have issues stemming from last season.
They haven’t scored a goal yet this season despite a plethora of striking options available and haven’t looked threatening.
The hosts can be backed to win at 23/20 to win this game and look decent value at that price.
Silva’s Impressive Start set to Continue
Question marks were raised about the suitability of Marco Silva as a candidate when he was appointed Fulham boss, but he has done well so far.
The Cottagers were held by Middlesbrough on the opening day, but responded by battering Huddersfield 5-1 away on Saturday.
Two in two for Harry Wilson represents a great start and the Cottagers will certainly miss the Wales winger against Millwall, after he was shown a red card on Saturday.
But they boast so much attacking depth and should be right up there come the end of the season.
Millwall are a team of Steady Eddies, evidenced by their two 1-1 draws this season. Gary Rowett’s side are dark horses for a play-off tilt, but the lack of a clinical goalscorer could hurt their chances.
With that in mind, Fulham can be backed at 11/4 to win to nil.
Big Game in the Bottom Three
Already, Huddersfield and Preston may be fearing the worst this season after their respective poor starts.
The Terriers only drew against a skeletal Derby County squad before their beating at the hands of Fulham, while Preston have conceded six goals in two defeats against Hull City and Reading.
Neither side have been able to spend big this summer with a smattering of free transfers and loans making up their transfer activity.
This game could be quite cagey given the need for both teams to try and earn a positive result and Town won’t want to feel the wrath of their own fans, while Preston will be keen to get off the mark.
A draw can be backed at 11/5, a result which both teams might accept at this point in time.
*All odds correct at time of writing
