Stoke City have been sliding towards the drop zone in the EFL Championship and badly need a win to build some momentum when Derby County come calling.
Narcis Pelach replaced Steven Schumacher at the helm in mid-September but the Catalan has struggled for results so far, winning just one of his first seven league games.
The Potters also bowed out of the League Cup on Tuesday, losing 3-2 against Premier League Southampton, so Pelach will be looking to bounce back and stop the odds on his side from suffering relegation from tumbling further.
It won't be easy though as Derby County have impressed since winning promotion back to the second tier. Paul Warne's side sit 12th and have gone four games without defeat, albeit three of those matches ended in draws.
A victory at Stoke would move them to within striking distance of the play-off places and not having any matches in midweek could work in the Rams' favour as they will be fresher than their opponents.
How the bookies view it: Rams raid looks overpriced
Despite being in dismal form, Stoke City are Betano's 23/20 favourites with home advantage. Derby County look a bit overpriced at 85/40 while the draw pays 23/10.
Recent head to head: Nothing in it
This fixture has been keenly contested in the last few years, with the last 10 meetings producing four wins apiece and two draws. But Derby had the edge when these teams last faced off in season 2021/22, winning both Championship clashes 2-1.
Players to watch: Koumas keen to impress
Liverpool loanee Lewis Koumas has been a good signing for Stoke, with the youngster chipping in with three goals already. He's 3/1 at Bet365 to add to that tally in this game.
Kayden Jackson started the season well for Derby, with three goals in six games, but has since been firing blanks. He's 15/4 at Bet365 to get back on track by scoring here.
Probable line-ups
Stoke City remain without Bosun Lawal, Sam Gallagher, Lynden Gooch and Ben Pearson due to injury. Derby have David Ozoh, Ryan Nyambe, Tom Barkuizen and Tawanda Chirewa sidelined.
Stoke City: Johansson, Stevens, Wilmot, Tchamadeu, Gibson, Phillips, Burger, Koumas, Moran, Manhoef, Cannon.
Derby County: Widell Zetterstrom, Wilson, Forsyth, Cashin, Nelson, Goudmijn, Harness, Adams, Yates, Mendez-Laing, Jackson.
Anything else catch the eye?
With Derby's last three matches ending in 1-1 draws, this should be another close game. The half-time stalemate appeals at 11/10 with Betfred while backing yet another 1-1 draw at full-time pays 11/2 at Bet365.
With Stoke in cup action in midweek, it could pay to back the fresher Derby to get off to a quicker start. The Rams are 11/8 at Bet365 to score first while backing them to win the first half pays 14/5 at Betano.
Stoke's last two home games have produced 19 and 15 corners so it could pay to dabble in that market. Over 11.5 flag kicks pays 11/8 with Bet365 and that looks decent value.
We could see a few cards with Stoke desperate to get back on track in the league. Going for over 47.5 booking points pays 11/10 at Betfred.
This England Championship match between Stoke City and Derby County will be played on Nov 2, 2024 and kick off at 12:30. Check below for our tipsters best Stoke City vs Derby County prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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