When the Lions have just eaten, it's possible that you can stroll across their path, on their territory, without being viciously attacked. So, as fate would have it, Coventry could be visiting Millwall at the ideal time this weekend.

The Londoners started the season with all sorts to prove but now they've brought down a couple of sizeable beasts in Hull and Middlesbrough and it might just have satisfied their appetite for the time being. The hunger needed to beat Aidy Boothroyd's men might not be there.

The Sky Blues have emerged from their opening three matches still unbeaten and while Boothroyd is quick to admit that his new charges are by no means the finished article, they probably deserve a bit more respect than the prices being offered to get a result from this game.

That's not to say the New Den has suddenly become an easy place to visit, far from it. The Midlanders can rest assured that standard abuse will rain down from the stands and the Millwall players won't be sleeping on the job in front of their own supporters.

However, an engine room containing Lee Carsley and Michael Doyle is well equipped to deal with both the mental and physical demands of this fixture, while David Bell and Gary McSheffrey are no shrinking violets on the flanks and they possess the quality to unpick a steady Lions defence.

Unlike many managers at this level, Boothroyd knows all about the unique ambience that awaits teams in Bermondsey having sampled it with Colchester last season and you can be sure he will relay a few pearls of wisdom to his players before kick-off. 

So this might be one of those occasions when the usual advantages of being newly-promoted side are negated, just as they were against Leeds last weekend.

Kenny Jackett's men went to Elland Road well fancied but were soundly beaten, perhaps illustrating how much they prefer to be written off, and though six points from a possible nine constitutes a solid start, they haven't quite done enough to warrant odds-on quotes just yet.

Therefore, we'll take what amount to a lay of the home side at around the even-money mark with a bet on Coventry +0.5 to win on the Asian handicap.

Meanwhile, one wonders what Scunthorpe must do to generate respect from the layers because they look good value once again at 2.60 against Crystal Palace.

Bizarrely, the Iron were trading at nearly 2/1 when League One Sheffield Wednesday visited Glanford Park in the Carling Cup on Tuesday and while this bet doesn't quite set the bells and buzzers off to the same extent, it's worth an interest nonetheless.

As it was, a typically positive Scunny performance contained too much in the way of firepower for the Owls in midweek and it's their desire to play on the front foot that appeals here because Palace look like a team who are there for the taking.

But for a blistering 45 minutes against sleepy Leicester on the opening day, it's been an otherwise uninspiring start to the season for George Burley's men and though it's too soon to dismiss them as relegation fodder, home advantage ought to count for a lot more than it does at these prices.

Finally, it might also be worth throwing a point on Derby to do the business against QPR at Pride Park.

It's been a flawless start for the division's early pacesetters but the Rams tend to rise to these kind of challenges and this shouldn't vary too wildly from an each-of-two contest based on what we know of these two sides from last season.

Of course, it's true the Rs have improved significantly under the authority of Neil Warnock - and perhaps much sooner than anyone anticipated - but we reckon it could be a case of too much, too soon for a club that's nurtured anything but a culture of consistency in recent years.

So while we don't deny that Rangers are clearly heading in the right direction, the price is right to oppose them with a near-30,000 gate getting behind the hosts, looking to bring home odds of 3.00
 

Leicester v Reading

Momentum is a wonderful thing, but not when somebody plonks a three-month summer break in your path.

After finishing last season in fine fettle with 41 points from the final 21 games, Reading were widely fancied to mount a promotion push under Brian McDermott this term but, much to the manager's understandable frustration, they just haven't got themselves going.

The latest setback in a forgettable month was an embarrassing Carling Cup defeat against basement club Northampton on Tuesday, which came about on penalties after defender Matthew Mills put through his own goal in the dying seconds of extra-time.

And perhaps it's a measure of how things are starting to turn for the Royals because it wouldn't surprise us if the situation got a whole lot worse when they travel to the Walkers Stadium on Saturday.

Besides the obvious problem of a strong side being taken the distance by the Cobblers in midweek, it's possible that Reading might be starting to feel a little down on their luck and that could be costly against a Leicester side entering this clash in a much more positive frame of mind.

The Foxes are also chasing their first league win but they will be boosted by a terrific cup triumph over Leeds and they can now call upon Matty Fryatt for this clash after their star striker resumed full training on Thursday following a week sidelined by a heel injury.

A cutting edge was the only thing missing for Paulo Sousa's men in their last home game against Middlesbrough but that seems to have been rectified by the manager's decision to switch to a more conventional 4-4-2 system that turned the game on its head in the second half at Elland Road.

If Sousa sticks with the same formation for this fixture and recalls Fryatt, as expected, then odds of 2.50 on the former Walsall man to score anytime would represent excellent value.
 

PICKS:

• Coventry (+0.5) to beat Millwall on the Asian handicap at 1.975 (at Bet365).
• Derby to beat QPR at 3.00 (at Ladbrokes).

• Scunthorpe to beat Crystal Palace at 2.60 (at Bet365).
• Matty Fryatt to score at any time v Reading at 2.50 (at Bet365).