Two weeks ago, we opposed Bradford for their trip to Dagenham on the basis that emotions were running a little high and composure might be compromised following a positive start that had kept them alive in two cup competitions and propelled them into early League Two promotion contention.

We're a quarter of the way through the season, and only 37 per cent of League One matches have been home wins. History tells us the figure should settle at somewhere in the 40s by the end of this next quarter, so let's not shy away from a couple of speculative bets contributing to the expected increase on Saturday.

If there's one team Sheffield United aren't going to take for granted this season, it's Oldham. The Blades had three weeks fewer than most clubs in League One to prepare for the new campaign but theirs was the longest summer, reflecting on where it all went wrong in the race for automatic promotion last term.

Steve Evans completes his six-match stadium ban this weekend and, unlike the rest of League Two, we reckon his Rotherham players will be longing for the loudmouth Glaswegian's return after the visit of Southend. Take the 9/4 available on Paul Sturrock's men in the draw no bet market.

Now that Arsenal's new-found defensive solidity has been exposed as a sham by Gary Neville's superb tactical analysis of their disorganisation at set plays against Chelsea last weekend, the last thing they need is another local derby in front of the television cameras against the team perhaps best equipped to exploit such inefficiencies.

Steve Bruce hasn't been short of plaudits since he returned to management at Hull with national media pundits lining up to laud his achievements in bouncing back from an unceremonious exit at Sunderland. The only problem was, the season was only six games old.

Sheffield United were given a good going-over by a bruising Hartlepool side in midweek and Leyton Orient can benefit from the knock-on effects by beating the battle-weary Blades at Brisbane Road on Saturday. Take the 5/2 about the Londoners prevailing.

Fortunes will ebb and flow over the course of a season, but it's around this time of year that the dips start to tell us something about the character of those early pacesetters targeting automatic promotion, particularly those with no previous experience of what the race entails.

Expect a fearsome show of pride from wounded Blues after their Barnsley horror show

Swindon's performances tend to dip on the back of cup heroics and Shrews are formidable at home