The Championship returns on Friday night with Blackburn Rovers hosting Preston North End with the knowledge that a win could move them up to sixth place on the log. The hosts have the upper hand in this one with Preston struggling for form at the moment.
Blackburn Rovers have had a topsy-turvy run of form in recent games but their ability to turn things around has been on display leading into this meeting. A run of four consecutive losses in the league has been followed with four wins in the last five which is sure to boost their confidence ahead of a crucial game.
Their 3-1 win against Norwich last week was proof of their character and resilience after they were beaten at home by Swansea City and suffered exit from the EFL Cup with a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea.
An added motivation for Rovers would be to improve their worrying home form which has beset them so far. They have lost four of their last seven league fixtures at Ewood Park this season while successful efforts on their territory have been rather tame with three wins coming by one-goal margins.
Nonetheless, Preston’s poor form in recent weeks should provide optimism for the hosts. Though they managed to outlast Coventry last time out, the victory was preceded by a winless run which included three draws and four losses.
Preston’s last three travels have also brought barren returns with a loss to Hull City and heavy defeats at Ipswich Town and Leicester City compounding their woes after a 4-0 home loss to West Bromwich Albion.
This fixture has huge potential for goals with both sides cancelling each other out seven times in the last 10 meetings. Better still, six matches in the same run provided at least three goals.
How the bookies view it
Blackburn Rovers are the bookies favourites with Coral placing them at evens to win. A victory for Preston North End is valued at 3/1 by bet365 while a draw is at 5/2 with Paddy Power.
Head to head
Preston North End have a 28-17 advantage with 16 draws from 61 previous matches against Blackburn Rovers. Both teams battled to a 1-1 draw in the most recent meeting back in April.
Players to watch
Attacking midfielder Sammie Szmodics has had a sensational start to the season with his nine league goals already bettering last season’s return of five goals. He netted a brace in the win over Norwich City and is priced at 2/1 by bet365 to maintain his scoring run.
Will Keane remains Preston’s most consistent source for goals with a six goal contribution which includes four goals and two assists. Paddy Power has the forward at odds of 3/1 to score anytime on Friday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Two of the last three meetings between Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End have produced over 3.5 goals, which is priced at 21/10 by BetVictor. Over 2.5 goals could also be considered at 4/5 by Unibet while Paddy Power is offering 8/11 on both teams to score.
Blackburn Rovers scored in both halves last time out at Norwich City and a repeat is priced at 19/10 with BoyleSports.
This England Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End will be played on Nov 10, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Blackburn Rovers vs Preston North End prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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