The second round of fixtures in the 2021-22 Championship season will take place this weekend, and promotion favourites Fulham will expect to register their first victory when they visit Huddersfield on Saturday.
Fulham are the 9/2 favourites to clinch the Championship title this season, but they were held to an opening day 1-1 draw by Middlesbrough on home soil, despite seeing more than 65% of the possession and having over double the number of shots when compared to Neil Warnock’s visitors.
Marco Silva’s side have been licking their wounds since that draw, as they were not involved in the Carabao Cup during the week, and they will fancy their chances of claiming their first victory of the season when they visit the John Smith’s Stadium to take on a Huddersfield side that looks set for a campaign of struggle.
The Terriers did claim an opening day draw at Derby – although, given the Rams’ off-field problems, that may not be the greatest of results – while they have now only won three of their 25 Championship matches this calendar year.
Huddersfield have also won just one of their last 15 meetings home and away against Fulham, losing the three most recent contests, so backing the Cottagers to triumph on Saturday at 10/11 could prove a shrewd move.
Blackburn Could Struggle in the Lions’ Den
Millwall went unbeaten during pre-season, and they have brought that form into the new campaign, following up a credible draw at Queens Park Rangers in their Championship opener with a Carabao Cup success over Portsmouth.
Blackburn started their league campaign with a victory, but they were dumped out of the cup by League One Morecambe during the week, while they have also seen star striker Adam Armstrong leave the club for Premier League Southampton.
Tony Mowbray’s side also won just one of their final ten away matches in the Championship last season, and although they have a good recent record against Millwall – winning four of the last five meetings – it is the Lions that look good value to claim all three points on Saturday at 29/20.
Bowyer’s Blues to Continue Firing
Lee Bowyer has turned Birmingham’s fortunes around following his appointment as head coach in March, as he successfully kept the Blues in the Championship last season, while they have started the current campaign with back-to-back wins in league and cup.
Stoke have also enjoyed a perfect start to the new campaign, but both their victories have come on home soil, with the Potters’ record away from the bet365 Stadium not looking as impressive, as they have won just two of their previous 15 Championship fixtures on the road.
"We have to take the game to them!"
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) August 12, 2021
That sequence includes April’s 2-0 defeat to Birmingham at St Andrew’s – one of four losses Stoke have suffered in their last six meetings with the club from the second city.
The Potters have also not won a league match at Birmingham’s ground since October 1988, with the Blues looking the more likely of the two sides at 7/4 to claim another victory on Saturday.
*All odds correct at time of writing