Bristol Rovers ripped Newport to shreds at times last weekend, winning a crazy game 5-3, and have looked very dangerous going forward.

Crawley were fortunate to stay up last season, posting just 40 points and keeping their heads above water by one point.

Rovers generated nearly 4 xG in the win over Newport.

Kellan Gordan and Malcolm Ebiowei are still seeing out three-match bans from their violent conduct red cards in Crawley's opening weekend 1-0 defeat at home to Crewe.

Rovers have a lot more depth and were able to rotate in their midweek 2-2 draw and penalty shoot-out defeat to Chelsea U21s in the EFL Trophy.

Rovers are third-favourites for the league title, whereas the bookies still expect Crawley to be involved in a relegation battle.

This could be the bet of the weekend.

How are Leicester favourites for this match? They're pish.

Nearly 2/1 on MK Dons to beat a Leicester side, who have looked just as hopeless as Russell Martin's Rangers side so far.

Martin could be in for abuse from both sets of fans having left MK for Swansea on the eve of the 2021/22 season.

Leicester have drawn 1-1 at newly-promoted Notts County, one of the favourites for relegation, and lost 2-1 at home to Burton - the pre-season favourites to finish bottom of the league.

MK are genuine top six contenders this season, while Leicester are playing like a group of people who've never met each other.

MK have drawn 2-2 at newly-relegated Oxford, leading until the 95th-minute, and 1-1 at home to a Huddersfield side who've looked like one of the best attacking sides in the division.

Leicester have just suffered back-to-back relegations and don't yet look close to turning the tide.

Watford are not as good as their four points from two games suggests.

They were second-best in their 1-1 draw at Wrexham last weekend, and relied on a late sitter to cling onto their opening weekend 2-1 win over Southampton.

Sometimes you've got to respect the market. 

West Ham have not looked convincing at all so far, drawing 2-2 at Burnley and losing 2-1 at home to Charlton, but they're still the clear favourites for the Championship title.

If they click into gear, prices like 1.90 away at a side of Watford's level will not hang around.

They posted 1.33 xG in their opener and 2.84 last time out in the league - they are creating chances.

They also built some confidence with a 4-1 win at Southampton in the League Cup on Tuesday evening.

Tranmere have been gradually shortening ahead of their trip to Newport, having made an impressive start to the League Two season.

They got started with a 2-0 win over Shrewsbury before drawing 1-1 at newly-relegated Port Vale and now travel to a Newport side who are joint-favourites to finish bottom of the league.

Newport beat a shellshocked Rochdale, who won the National League play-offs last season, on the opening day before being humbled 5-3 at Bristol Rovers last weekend - the scoreline flattered them, it could’ve been more than a two-goal defeat.

Newport conceded nearly 4 xG at Bristol Rovers, and a competent if not spectacular Tranmere side can exploit that defensive weakness as they look to continue their steady improvement under Darrell Clarke.

Oldham have a lot of potential in League Two this season, and they’ve started better than three points from two league games suggests.

They comfortably beat newly-relegated Port Vale, 2-0, on the opening weekend and were 1-0 up at Colchester last weekend before a controversial first half red card for Gus Scott-Morriss.

They couldn’t hold on with 10 and lost 2-1, but they edged the game at 11 v 11.

Swindon have only had nine shots across their opening two league games, overperforming somewhat to collect four points from games that saw them involved so infrequently in the final third.

Oldham have looked far more reliable in their opening two games, despite sitting one point behind Swindon in the table, and they’re still a bet at a narrowly odds-on price.

Bristol Rovers ripped Newport to shreds at times last weekend, winning a crazy game 5-3, and have looked very dangerous going forward.

Crawley were fortunate to stay up last season, posting just 40 points and keeping their heads above water by one point.

Rovers generated nearly 4 xG in the win over Newport.

Kellan Gordan and Malcolm Ebiowei are still seeing out three-match bans from their violent conduct red cards in Crawley's opening weekend 1-0 defeat at home to Crewe.

Rovers have a lot more depth and were able to rotate in their midweek 2-2 draw and penalty shoot-out defeat to Chelsea U21s in the EFL Trophy.

Rovers are third-favourites for the league title, whereas the bookies still expect Crawley to be involved in a relegation battle.

Watford are not as good as their four points from two games suggests.

They were second-best in their 1-1 draw at Wrexham last weekend, and relied on a late sitter to cling onto their opening weekend 2-1 win over Southampton.

Sometimes you've got to respect the market. 

West Ham have not looked convincing at all so far, drawing 2-2 at Burnley and losing 2-1 at home to Charlton, but they're still the clear favourites for the Championship title.

If they click into gear, prices like this away at a side of Watford's level will not hang around.

They posted 1.33 xG in their opener and 2.84 last time out in the league - they are creating chances.

They also built some confidence with a 4-1 win at Southampton in the League Cup on Tuesday evening.

Norwich have seen both teams score in three of their four competitive games so far this season, and they’re better going forward than their start to the campaign suggests.

They’ve scored just once but from chances equating to 3.98 xG, keep generating those opportunities and they’ll start hitting the back of the net.

They’ve conceded two or more goals in both Championship games so far, as have Burnley - who’ve seen BTTS land in both of their second tier outings.

The bet landed in both meetings between the sides when they were last in the second tier together in 2024/25, and both sides' strengths lie in the final third more than they do in their rearguard.

Don’t get carried away yet, but this might be the best that Huddersfield have looked since dropping to League One.

They’ve started their third season since relegation from the Championship with a win and a draw, and it was last weekend’s 1-1 draw at MK Dons that was the more impressive performance.

They dominated the first half at Stadium MK, generating 1.42 xG in that half alone, with Joe Taylor scoring and getting unfortunate not to add a second that crashed down off the underside of the bar - there’s no goal line technology in League One.

MK’s equaliser was a quality finish, and they didn’t do a lot wrong to concede their first league goal of the season.

The Terriers are only narrow favourites at Cambridge on Saturday, which looks like a slice of value. 

Cambridge are a newly-promoted side and are at a preparation disadvantage, compared to Huddersfield’s free midweek, losing 1-0 to Millwall on Tuesday.

Cambridge are on four points from two games as well, but they haven’t looked as good as Huddersfield, with kinder fixtures as well. 

They’ve overperformed to score four goals from 2.33 xG and will have their work cut out if Huddersfield can bring the level of performance they’ve displayed in their opening two games - potentially as the fresher side as well, with the extra time on the training ground this week.

The alarm bells are ringing at Barnsley at the moment.

They haven’t scored in the league yet, losing 1-0 at home to newly-promoted Bromley on the opening weekend before drawing 0-0 at Doncaster.

They lost the xG battle 1.82-0.45 at Donny, only managing one shot on target and benefitting from some less than clinical finishing from their Yorkshire rivals.

Orient showed their clinical edge in a 2-0 win at Wigan last weekend, and are looking closer to the losing play-off finalists of 2024/25 than the 20th-placed side from last season after an eye-catching summer of recruitment.

They’re strong favourites for the game and could go off odds-on, the anti-ownership sentiment could rear its head in the away end if Barnsley go behind.

Newport conceded just under 4 xG in their 5-3 defeat at Bristol Rovers last weekend, and have not been known for keeping clean sheets.

They conceded in 39 of 46 league games last season, narrowly escaping relegation and are expected to be battling towards the bottom once again.

Tranmere have scored in all of their last nine meetings with Newport and look an improved outfit this season under Darrell Clarke.

Even during a poor 2025/26 campaign, Tranmere scored in 18 of 23 away games and Newport is one of the kinder trips on the fixture list.