Friday 3 February 2017 10:32, UK
David Prutton returns with his predictions for the weekend's Sky Bet EFL fixtures, including Newcastle v Derby and Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa.
There's also Wigan against Sheffield Wednesday and the Yorkshire derby between Huddersfield and Leeds, both live on Sky Sports.
Read on to see who Prutton is tipping to come out on top…
Wigan were beaten by Manchester United in the FA Cup but you can't take that into account and they had won three in a row before that. They have also signed Omar Bogle, who I think will be fantastic for them.
But Wednesday have bought Jordan Rhodes to add to the firepower they have already got and that gives them extra impetus after their surprise draw against Bristol City.
Rhodes has natural goalscoring ability at this level and is slightly different to Gary Hooper and Steven Fletcher. I think he will link up well with Fernando Forestieri if they have players running beyond using their pace.
With Rhodes you have to get him inside the box, which Wednesday can do as they get crosses in from the wide areas. It's a big statement from Wednesday. He didn't have the best time at Middlesbrough but he is still hungry and a goalscoring threat.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet odds 9/1)
Fulham have been fantastic, not only with the FA Cup win over Hull, but they followed it up with a victory over Burton. They are nicely placed in ninth to try and mount a surge into the play-offs.
Birmingham made a managerial change for a specific reason and it hasn't come off. They were doing fine under Gary Rowett and Gianfranco Zola was brought in to address the style of play and the results, and neither have improved.
Hopefully for them it won't be a situation where you have owners who think they know football but don't, and are in a position where they are employing people based on reputation rather than ability.
Zola has previous by getting Watford into the play-off final but that was a better squad. It was a strange change at the time and Birmingham are in a bit of a funk. Fulham over the course of the season have been very good away from home.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 0-2 (Sky Bet odds 10/1)
I predicted Newcastle to draw on Wednesday and I almost did a knee slide down the corridor when QPR equalised so I could get a full-house on the night!
It's tough for Newcastle. Teams go to St James' Park and have a certain way of playing. Derby went to Ipswich and turned them over, so I think this will be close.
Newcastle might assume Derby will want more of the ball but I can't see it being anything other than another tough game. The expectation levels are there for Newcastle, who started really well against QPR but sloppy play and ponderous possession brought the mood down. If Derby attack the game like QPR did then they can get something out of it too.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-2 (Sky Bet odds 16/1)
Villa were turned over by Brentford in midweek and look to be in a bit of state of flux. It might take Jonathan Kodjia a little while to get up and running after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations but with Henri Lansbury and Conor Hourihane they have the makings of some really good midfield permutations.
They paid a lot of money for Scott Hogan but they have shown they have the ability from parachute payments to match and overtake offers on the table for players. He deserves his chance too. He has worked his socks off over a long period to get back into the Brentford team and it's a real test of his skill and ability.
Forest are without a manager and don't seem to have people queuing round the block to get in full-time, but they beat Rotherham to drag themselves away from the relegation zone and I feel there's a bit more confidence at the club.
I think Zach Clough is a decent signing. In a team that went down at Bolton he was probably one of the shining lights over the last couple of seasons so he deserves his chance.
I don't think Villa will go there and turn them over.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-2 (Sky Bet odds 14/1)
Having taken a point at Newcastle in midweek, this is another one for QPR to try and win to move away from the relegation zone.
QPR will take great confidence from that draw and they could have been a couple of goals up if they had been more clinical. Losing to Leeds in the last minute was a blow for Blackburn and I think they will be beaten again.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet odds 10/1)
Wolves are finding some consistency under Paul Lambert and their win over Liverpool in the FA Cup will give them a lot of confidence.
Burton manager Nigel Clough has alluded to the fact that it's been a bit of a head-turner of a week with talking to Nottingham Forest, and anything more than consolidation for Burton this season would put them in dreamland. They just have to be above the dotted line.
There's a feelgood factor around Wolves and the fact they are in 16th reflects on their inconsistent start to the season. But the future looks bright, especially with Helder Costa turning his loan into a permanent deal.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 0-2 (Sky Bet odds 9/1)
This is a tough one to call. Leeds got that last-gasp win against Blackburn but you can't get away from the derby element. Whether all the players understand it or not, the fans will let them know how big an occasion it is.
Huddersfield have been good at home this season and Leeds have been good at grinding out results so I can't see anything separating them.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet odds 9/2)
As good as Brentford were against Aston Villa this will be a very different test. I think Brighton will grind out a win to underline their automatic promotion credentials.
It could be a big opportunity for them with Newcastle playing Derby on Saturday, and Brighton have been good this season when other teams around them have slipped up.
As much as we have seen the odd result for Brighton that makes you raise your eyebrows, there have been a few more for Newcastle. You get the feeling Brighton are a bit more comfortable going to a team in a certain position in the league and getting a result.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 0-1 (Sky Bet odds 6/1)
Bolton losing to Charlton last time out was a surprise and they now haven't got a win in five. The pressure is on them to go straight back up, more so than MK Dons.
When MK Dons are at their best they can be prolific, as shown by scoring nine goals in their last two games. They can cause teams problems. Bolton need to snap this winless run but they have lost Zach Clough and I think it will be a draw.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet odds 5/1)
Wycombe have lost their last two but obviously the Exeter game was straight after the Tottenham defeat which was so high on drama and emotion, so you can forgive them for that. You'd like to think the Spurs game will be out of the system now. Gareth Ainsworth was proud of his side but he knew how close they got to doing something special. It would have been a real boost.
Expectation is always there for Portsmouth because of their history and the size of the club while Gareth Ainsworth is doing a terrific job at Wycombe. I think they will win this one.
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet odds 11/1)
