Lays of the Weekend: Brighton to be rocked in coastal clash

Brighton have only averaged a point a game under Sami Hyypia

Michael Lintorn is forecasting one point or fewer for Brighton, Leyton Orient and Shrewsbury this weekend...

Lay Brighton to beat Blackpool @ 1.574/7

This columnist has been happy to oppose Brighton whenever the invitation has arisen this season due to uncertainty over Sami Hyypia following how severely things unravelled at Bayer Leverkusen and has more faith than most in Blackpool getting it right, so this is a great opportunity to test both theories.

Brighton are surely too short on the strength of their 2014/15 Championship form: seven points in seven games and no wins in their previous three, during which they conceded seven? Blackpool haven't lost by more than one goal since the opening day and earned their first point against fourth-placed Wolves last weekend. It is also alleged that owner Karl Oyston and manager Jose Riga have finally resolved their differences, which will hopefully raise Tangerine spirits.

Lay Leyton Orient to win at Scunthorpe @ 2.3411/8

The fourth longest-serving boss in England's top four divisions is on the ropes. New Leyton Orient owner Francesco Becchetti has been unimpressed by Russell Slade delivering just one League One victory in seven tries - and none in five - after an ambitious summer transfer campaign in which the likes of Jobi McAnuff and Darius Henderson were signed.

Latest hosts Scunthorpe are level on points with them and improving as they settle post-promotion, claiming successive home triumphs over Walsall and Coventry. The two Glanford Park losses which preceded that were both excusable (conquerors Preston and Fleetwood are contenders for a top-two finish and the play-offs respectively) and their only ones in 19 league games there since Russ Wilcox took charge last November.

Lay Shrewsbury to beat Newport County @ 1.981/1

Though the prices say otherwise, this is arguably a bolder lay than Brighton because Shrewsbury have a faultless four-wins-from-four home record since relegation to League Two. Except, we're going to pick fault in it: every single one came against teams 15th or lower - two by one-goal margins - and they haven't won any of their four away matches.

"But Newport are 17th," you might counter. However, there is a caveat there too: all eight sides that they have faced are 15th or above, with seven in the top 11. They also lost their first three fixtures, suffering a hangover from their rotten end-of-season form (four wins in 25). Since shifting that, they are unbeaten in five, prevailing away to Portsmouth (who haven't dropped a point at Fratton Park besides those three).