Leeds United will be looking to maintain their playoff push as they welcome Preston North End to Elland Road for a Championship fixture on Sunday. Leeds have been near perfect since the turn of the year and should have too much for Preston, who have struggled on their travels.
After ending 2023 on a disappointing note, Leeds United have looked a different side since the turn of the year, claiming three straight wins across all competitions. Daniel Farke’s men have breathed new life into their playoff push and sitting seven points off second placed Ipswich Town , could be in with an outside chance of automatic promotion.
The Whites were in rampant mood last time out in the Championship as they claimed a 3-0 victory at Cardiff City. Patrick Bamford opened the scoring early in the contest, with further efforts from Daniel James and Georginio Rutter giving them a comfortable win.
Leeds United’s recent resurgence has coincided with a return to goalscoring form for Patrick Bamford, who has found the net in the last three matches. However, the defence has also played a pivotal role, keeping clean sheets in all three matches.
Preston North End are also coming off a victory as they triumphed 2-0 over Bristol City in their previous Championship fixture. After battling to a stalemate at the break, a second half brace from Will Keane was enough to earn them all three points.
That was a much needed win for Preston North End as it ended a run of three straight defeats across all competitions. Ryan Lowe’s men may be in the bottom half of the table but with two points between them and the top six, a late playoff push might be on the cards.
The problem for Preston North End is an abysmal record on their travels having picked up just two wins from their last 11 away matches. They have been beaten eight times in that run, including defeats in their last three matches.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have installed Leeds United as overwhelming favourites with a home win priced at 3/10 by bet365. An unlikely victory for Preston North End is valued at 10/1 by William Hill while a draw is set at odds of 9/2 by BoyleSports.
Head to head
Leeds United and Preston North End have claimed 18 wins each with nine draws from 45 previous meetings. Preston picked up a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture towards the end of December when Leeds were in the middle of their rough patch.
Players to watch
Patrick Bamford’s return to form has been pivotal for Leeds United and the striker is priced at 5/4 by William Hill to score in a fourth straight match. Daniel James has also caught the eye with goals in the last two Championship matches and could be worth considering in the same market at 9/4 with bet365.
Given Leeds United’s recent attacking displays, their defensive efforts have somewhat gone under the radar despite earning shutouts in the last three matches. Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu have been solid at the heart of the backline and can lead the hosts to another clean sheet at 20/23 with Coral.
Anything else catch the eye?
Leeds United have won to nil in their last three matches and could be set for a similar outcome at 21/20 by BetVictor. Having scored three goals in each of those matches, a -1 handicap could also be considered at 17/20 with Coral.
The Whiles have scored in both halves in the last three matches and a similar pattern is priced at evens with BoyleSports. They have also won both halves in all three fixtures and could be set for a repeat at 15/8 with Paddy Power.
This England Championship match between Leeds United and Preston North End will be played on Jan 21, 2024 and kick off at 12:00. Check below for our tipsters best Leeds United 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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