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WITH a home Test cricket series in full flow and the 2016 Olympics under way in Rio, the new football season limbers up in the background as it prepares to muscle its way into – and then dominate – the sporting calendar.

Football League teams kick off their respective campaigns this weekend still full of optimism as the joys or disappointments of last season are consigned to the record books.

Blues host Cardiff City this weekend in what, on paper, is a big game, although both sides could be classified as underperformers and neither is expected to challenge for Championship honours. Home advantage ensures the Midlands side start as William Hill’s 6/4, although the stalemate, priced at 12/5 (bet365) has attracted steady support as four of the pair’s last ten meetings have ended all-square, while five of the other six were settled by a single goal.

This record would suggest that Saturday’s contest is unlikely to be a goalfest, a conclusion which accounts for the popularity of Skybet’s 4/5 price posted about the match yielding fewer than 2.5 goals.

Prior to Wolves’ goalless draw against Rotherham at Molineux in April, the pair’s previous five encounters had yielded 25 goals. Cue another high-scoring classic on Saturday? Perhaps not – last season, Wolves didn’t score more than two goals in a fixture until September, while Rotherham had to wait until November before they found the net more than twice in a match. For the record, another 0-0 is rated an 8/1 shot by Totesport.

Wolves’ mediocre performances last term have not propelled them into bookies’ reckoning for any honours this time out, but they’re 8/5 (Betway) to register three points on Saturday, with another draw available at 2/1 (Ladbrokes).

Villa travel to Hillsborough on Sunday priced as BetVictor’s 10/1 second favourites to bounce back to the Premier League as champions, but as 12/5 underdogs (Winner.com) to secure three points. The Owls kick off as Paddy Power’s 13/10 favourites to overhaul a team they last defeated in a league fixture in 1996.

The pair have not met since 1999-2000 when both occupied a top flight berth, so there’s little in the way of statistical support to guide punters, yet given each team’s respective performances during the last campaign, backing the stalemate, priced at 23/10 by Betfred, appears to make sense.

In other markets, Betfred chalk 11/4 about Villa winning without conceding, while Stan James mark 15/2 against them securing a 1-0 victory. For those expecting a little more from Villa than we saw during their last campaign, Betway’s 11/1 posted against a 2-1 away win has proved popular.

Odds supplied by Smartbets. com