North End start this afternoon’s fixture as 8/11 favourites with the Club’s official bookmaker pnebetting.co.uk (08000 322 365) and that’s probably a fair price bearing in mind the start to the season the two clubs have had.

After grabbing their first three pointer of the season at Molineux last weekend I expect to see Paul Simpson’s men firing on all cylinders and I’m tipping a comprehensive 3-0 victory at 12/1.

If you are looking for a goalscorer it’s quite hard to look beyond David Nugent, even at 9/2 but if you are looking for a bigger price then why not take a gamble on Sean St. Ledger who has looked quite dangerous at set pieces.

Specials
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year award has attracted plenty of punting interest in the past month or so. David Walliams was heavily supported following his cross-channel charity swim but is now drifting if you excuse the pun, the new hot favourite is England’s new spin king Monty Panesar at 3/1.

Birmingham 10/11 Draw 9/4 Crystal Palace 13/5 – Verdict Draw
The Championship’s early pacesetters meet at St Andrews this afternoon with Clinton Morrison keen to make his former employers pay. It’ll be a tight one and I’m backing the draw.

Burnley 6/5 Draw 11/5 Wolves 2/1 – Verdict Wolves
Steve Cotterill’s men have started well but Wolves will be smarting following their defeat to PNE and whilst I expect this to be a fiery game I’m backing Mick McCarthy’s men.
Ipswich 5/6 Draw 11/4 Hull 3/1 – Verdict Draw
Two sides rooted to the bottom of the Championship table meet at Portman Road, both in search of their first points. Hull looked unlucky not to take at least a point off of Derby and I reckon they can steal one this week.

West Brom 4/9 Draw 3/1 Colchester 5/1 – Verdict West Brom
Colchester have the hardest task of the weekend according to the bookies at 5/1 for a win. I have to say I agree with them though and Bryan Robson’s men should win comfortably.

We kick off this new campaign with Preston North End full of renewed hope and expectation and after two successive Play-Off campaigns the bookies have cut North End’s odds to their shortest since we’ve been in the Championship.

To win the Championship Paul Simpson’s men are 16/1 chances with pnebetting.co.uk that’s with each-way odds ¼ 1-2-3. Steve Bruce’s Birmingham City are 7/2 market leaders with Colchester and Barnsley 250/1 outsiders.

If you think that finishing in the top three is a bit of a stretch at those odds then you might fancy the shorter odds of 6/1 for PNE to be promoted. That equation of course includes the possibility of North End going up via the Play-Offs – third time lucky for PNE?

Sheffield’s finest, The Arctic Monkeys are being heavily tipped to win the prestigious Mercury Music Award this September, the indie band have had an amazing rise to prominence and are 13/8 to take the prize. If the judges decide to move away from Indie then my outside tip is a young blood by the name of Sway whose album ‘This Is My Demo’ has been bubbling under nicely this last year, he’s 12/1 to take the spoils.

Other matches

Birmingham 2/5 Draw 3/1 Colchester 6/1 – Verdict Birmingham
Steve Bruce’s Blues should be too strong at home against a Colchester side who have faced much disruption this summer, take the home win.

West Brom 8/13 Draw 5/2 Hull 4/1 – Draw
Phil Parkinson has had a bit of cash to spend at his new club and hopes are high. I’m backing the Tigers to get a draw at the Hawthorns.

Barnsley 7/5 Draw 21/10 Cardiff 7/4 – Cardiff
Andy Ritchie’s men have returned to Championship level but they will find it tough against Dave Jones’ Bluebirds. I think Cardiff will just nick this one.

Southend 13/10 Draw 2/1 Stoke 2/1 – Southend
Not many teams will look forward to going to Roots Hall this season. If Freddy Eastwood can continue his excellent goalscoring form then they could win their first ever Championship match

The Fiver Five-Fold
A £5 five-fold on Birmingham, Draw, Cardiff, Southend and Preston (8/11) pays an impressive £262