Sky Bet Championship: Statistics and odds for every game this weekend

Birmingham v Norwich

St. Andrews, Saturday 4th August, 1500 BST

Sky Bet odds

• Birmingham - 6/4
• Draw - 11/5
• Norwich - 15/8

Opta facts

• Birmingham have lost each of their last three league matches against Norwich without scoring a single goal.
• Birmingham City and Norwich City have met on the opening day just once before, 50 years ago – Norwich won 2-1 at St. Andrew’s with goals from Hugh Curran and John Manning in August 1968.
• Birmingham have failed to score in four of their last five opening day matches (W1 D1 L3), including each of their last two against Cardiff in 2016-17 and Ipswich last season.
• Norwich have managed just one win in their last 15 attempts on the opening day of the season (D7 L7), a 4-1 away win at Blackburn Rovers in 2016-17.
• This is the fourth consecutive season that current Birmingham City manager Garry Monk is taking charge of a different club on the opening day (Swansea in 2015-16, Leeds in 2016-17, Middlesbrough in 2017-18 and Birmingham in 2018-19).
• Norwich won none of their last eight away Championship matches in 2017-18 (P8 W0 D5 L3), losing 5-1 to Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on the final day of the season.

Brentford v Rotherham

Griffin Park, Saturday 4th August, 1500 BST

Sky Bet odds

• Brentford - 1/2
• Draw - 7/2
• Rotherham - 5/1

Opta facts

• Brentford have won each of their last three home league games against Rotherham, most recently a 4-2 victory in February 2017.
• None of the last eight league encounters between Brentford and Rotherham has ended as a draw, with both teams winning four games each.
• Brentford are winless on the opening day in each of their last six campaigns (D4 L2) since a 2-0 win over Yeovil Town at the start of the 2011-12 season.
• Rotherham haven’t won away from home on the opening day of a league season since thrashing Millwall 6-0 in August 2002; they have drawn three and lost two away matches since.
• Brentford lost 26 points from leading positions in the Championship last season – only relegated Sunderland lost more (28).
• Rotherham have collected just three points in their last 12 league trips to London (W0 D3 L9), losing each of the last seven in a row.

Bristol City v Nottingham Forest

Ashton Gate, Saturday 4th August, 1500 BST

Sky Bet odds

• Bristol City - 6/4
• Draw - 23/10
• Nottingham Forest - 7/4

Opta facts

• Since a run of 14 consecutive matches in all competitions without a home win against Nottingham Forest between 1976 and 2011, Bristol City have won each of their last four, scoring exactly twice in each win.
• Nottingham Forest have lost five of their last seven Championship encounters with Bristol City (W1 D1).
• Championship matches at Ashton Gate saw 69 goals scored in 2017-18 – only Hull’s KC Stadium saw more (73) – with 15 goals scored in the final two matches there, a 5-5 draw with Hull and a 3-2 defeat to Sheffield United.
• Current Nottingham Forrest manager Aitor Karanka has managed three Championship matches against Bristol City previously (D1 L2), winning none and failing to see his sides score in those games (Middlesbrough twice in 2015-16, Nottingham Forest in April 2018).
• In each of the last two seasons, the team facing Bristol City on the opening day of the season has gone on to be relegated from the Championship – Wigan Athletic in 2016-17 and Barnsley in 2017-18.
• Karanka will be the seventh different manager to take charge of Nottingham Forest in their last seven league trips to Ashton Gate since 2010-11 after Billy Davies, Steve Cotterill, Rob Kelly, Dougie Freedman, Philippe Montanier and Mark Warburton.

Ipswich v Blackburn

Portman Road, Saturday 4th August, 1500 BST

Sky Bet odds

• Ipswich - 13/8
• Draw - 11/5
• Blackburn - 7/4

Opta facts

• Ipswich have lost one of their last 16 home matches against Blackburn in all competitions (W10 D5), a 3-1 defeat in November 1994 in the Premier League, a season in which Ipswich were relegated and Blackburn won the league title.
• Ipswich and Blackburn have met on the opening day three times previously, with all three games ending as draws (in the 1957-58, 1962-63 and 2012-13 seasons).
• Ipswich Town have won three of their last four opening day matches (D1) since a 2-1 defeat at Reading in 2013-14.
• Six of the eight matches current Blackburn boss Tony Mowbary has taken charge of on the opening day of a league season have ended in defeat (W1 D1) – his only win on opening day came in League One in 2015-16, when his Coventry side won 2-0 against Wigan.
• Paul Hurst is set to take charge of his first match as Ipswich manager – his previous two opening day Football League matches both ended in victory, in League Two with Grimsby Town in 2016-17 and League One with Shrewsbury Town in 2017-18.
• Blackburn haven’t won on the opening day in any of their six seasons since they were relegated from the Premier League (D3 L3).

Millwall v Middlesbrough

The Den, Saturday 4th August, 1500 BST

Sky Bet odds

• Millwall - 7/4
• Draw - 21/10
• Middlesbrough - 13/8

Opta facts

• Millwall’s victory against Middlesbrough at the Den last season was only their second in their last eight home league matches against them (D2 L4).
• Middlesbrough have faced Millwall on the opening day on two previous occasions, in the 1987-88 and 1991-92 seasons, winning promotion at the end of both of those campaigns.
• Millwall have won on the opening day in three of the last four seasons, although they lost last season against Nottingham Forest, a 1-0 defeat at the City Ground.
• Since a 3-1 away win at Coventry on the opening day of the 2000-01 Premier League season, Middlesbrough have won just two of their last 17 opening day matches (D7 L8), winning none of their six away from home since then (D2 L4).
• Millwall won 42 Championship points in 2018 (P21 W12 D6 L3), with only Fulham (52) and Cardiff (43) – both promoted – earning more than the Lions.
• Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis hasn’t lost any of his last eight matches against Millwall in all competitions (W4 D4) since a 3-1 defeat at the Den in April 2003 when he was Stoke manager – current Lions boss Neil Harris scored Millwall’s first goal that day.

Preston v QPR

Deepdale, Saturday 4th August, 1500 BST

Sky Bet odds

• Preston - 10/11
• Draw - 12/5
• QPR - 3/1

Opta facts

• Preston have won all four of their Championship matches against QPR in each of the last two seasons.
• Queens Park Rangers are winless in 12 league visits to Deepdale (D6 L6) since a 3-0 victory in February 1980 under manager Tommy Docherty.
• Preston’s win on last season’s opening day ended a run of eight consecutive matches without a win on opening day – they last won on opening day in back to back seasons in 2004-05 and 2005-06, beating Watford both times.
• QPR have won each of their last two opening day Championship matches, beating Leeds in 2016-17 and Reading in 2017-18; however, they haven’t won away from home on opening day since August 1987, a 3-0 win at West Ham in the top-flight (D6 L6 since).
• Preston gained 19 points from losing positions in the Championship last season, more than any other side – QPR themselves gained 18 points, the joint-second best record along with Middlesbrough.
• QPR boss Steve McClaren has won just once in eight matches on the opening day of an English league season, a 1-0 victory as Derby manager in 2014-15 against Rotherham (D5 L2).

West Brom v Bolton

The Hawthorns, Saturday 4th August, 1500 BST

Sky Bet odds

• West Brom - 1/2
• Draw - 3/1
• Bolton - 6/1

Opta facts

• West Bromwich Albion have won just three of their last 23 matches against Bolton in all competitions (D12 L8).
• Bolton are winless in seven visits to the Hawthorns in all competitions (D5 L2) since a 2-0 win in August 2000 under Sam Allardyce.
• In four of WBA’s last five seasons outside the top-flight, they have gone on to win promotion when they’ve failed to win on opening day (2001-02, 2003-04, 2007-08, 2009-10), but failed to gain promotion in the one season they did win on opening day (2006-07).
• Bolton and West Brom haven’t met on the opening day of the season since the 1898-99 season, a 3-3 draw in the top-flight.
• In the Premier League era, only three teams relegated from the top-flight in the previous season have lost at home on the opening day in the second tier – Crystal Palace in 2005-06, Derby County in 2008-09 and most recently West Ham United in 2011-12.
• In three of the last five seasons, the team facing Bolton on the opening day of the season has gone on to win promotion – Burnley in 2013-14 and Watford in 2014-15 in the Championship and Sheffield United in 2016-17 in League One.

Wigan v Sheffield Wednesday

DW Stadium, Saturday 4th August, 1500 BST

Sky Bet odds

• Wigan - 13/10
• Draw - 11/5
• Sheffield Wednesday - 11/5

Opta facts

• Wigan have lost their last four Championship matches against Sheffield Wednesday, losing both games against them in the 2014-15 and 2016-17 campaigns.
• All three league meetings between Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday at the DW Stadium have ended 1-0 – Wigan won in March 2014, while the Owls won in December 2014 and February 2017.
• Wigan Athletic won 1-0 against MK Dons on the opening day last season – since joining the Football League in 1978, they’ve only won on opening day in back to back seasons once, doing so in 1996-97 (2-1 v Northampton) and 1997-98 (5-2 v Wycombe).
• Sheffield Wednesday have only lost two of their last 10 opening day matches (W6 D2), though one of those defeats came last season against Preston at Deepdale.
• Wigan boss Paul Cook is set to take charge of a Championship match for the first time – since he took charge of his first Football League match in February 2012, only Chris Wilder (142) has won more English league matches (excluding play-offs) than Cook (140).
• Sheffield Wednesday collected just seven points in Jos Luhukay’s first 10 league games in charge (W1 D4 L5) but then won 20 points in his next 10 games (W6 D2 L2).

Sheffield United v Swansea

Bramall Lane, Saturday 4th August, 1730 BST

Sky Bet odds

• Sheffield United - 5/4
• Draw - 9/4
• Swansea - 23/10

Opta facts

• Sheffield United are unbeaten in each of their last 13 home league matches against Swansea (W9 D4) since losing 2-1 in March 1939.
• Swansea’s last Championship match (not including play-offs) was against Sheffield United on the final day of the 2010-11 season – the Swans won 4-0 at Liberty Stadium.
• At Bramall Lane, Sheffield United have lost on the opening day in just one of their last 14 games (W10 D3), a 2-1 loss to Bristol City in League One in 2014-15.
• Five of the last six Swansea managers (excluding caretakers) have won their first match in charge – Michael Laudrup, Garry Monk, Francesco Guidolin, Paul Clement and Carlos Carvalhal all did so, with only Bob Bradley losing his first. Graham Potter will be the first Swansea boss to take charge of his first game on the opening day since Laudrup in August 2012, who won 5-0 against QPR.
• Last season, Sheffield United won all three home Championship matches against sides relegated from the Premier League the previous season, beating Hull (4-1), Sunderland (3-0) and Middlesbrough (2-1).
• Swansea were relegated from the Premier League last season with the second worst away record (12 points), ahead only of Brighton (11 points) and they are still without an away league win in 2018 (P8 W0 D4 L4).

Leeds v Stoke

Elland Road, Sunday 5th August, 1630 BST

Sky Bet odds

• Leeds - 17/10
• Draw - 9/4
• Stoke - 8/5

Opta facts

• Leeds United haven’t hosted Stoke City at Elland Road since October 2006 – Leeds lost 4-0 under caretaker manager John Carver.
• Stoke are unbeaten in their last three league visits to Elland Road (W1 D2), keeping clean sheets in all three games. Their last defeat there was in January 1990, during the last season in which Leeds won promotion to the top-flight.
• For the eighth season in a row, Leeds have a different manager in charge in their first league match of the campaign – Simon Grayson in 2011-12, Neil Warnock in 2012-13, Brian McDermott in 2013-14, Dave Hockaday in 2014-15, Uwe Rosler in 2015-16, Garry Monk in 2016-17, Thomas Christiansen in 2017-18 and Marcelo Bielsa this season.
• Stoke City are winless on the opening day since beating Burnley in the Premier League in 2009-10, drawing three and losing five since then.
• Leeds are starting their season on a Sunday for the third consecutive season – they lost 3-0 to QPR in 2016-17 but won 3-2 at Bolton last season.
• Stoke are the fourth side Gary Rowett has taken charge of in the Football League – he hasn’t won his opening match with any of the other three, failing with Burton (lost to Northampton), Birmingham (drew with Wolves) and Derby (drew with Nottingham Forest).

Hull v Aston Villa

KCOM Stadium, Monday 6th August, 1945 BST

Sky Bet odds

• Hull - 8/5
• Draw - 9/4
• Aston Villa - 7/4

Opta facts

• Hull have won one of their last 14 games against Aston Villa in all competitions (D3 L10), a 2-0 home win in February 2015.
• Aston Villa are winless in their last three away league visits to Hull (D2 L1), failing to score despite attempting 40 shots across those three matches.
• Hull and Aston Villa also met on the opening day last season, sharing a 1-1 draw at Villa Park.
• Outside the top-flight, current Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has won four of his last five opening day matches (D1), last losing in 2000-01 against Watford as Huddersfield Town manager.
• Hull are playing their first match of the season on a Monday for the first time since a 1-0 defeat to Leyton Orient in September 1907, while Aston Villa kick the season off on a Monday for the first time since September 1913.
• The losing play-off finalists from the previous season’s Championship final have only lost on the opening day of the next season in one of the last 10 seasons – but that occurred last season, when Reading lost 2-0 to QPR.

Odds correct at 1200 BST (02/08/18)

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