Luton Town's EFL Championship campaign hasn't gone to plan so far and they head into this clash with Queen's Park Rangers desperate for a win that could spark them to life.
There seems to have been a hangover after relegation from the Premier League, with Rob Edwards' men picking up just a point from their first three games in the league.
Losing creative spark Ross Barkley to Aston Villa certainly hasn't helped and wide player Chiedozie Ogbene has also returned to the top flight by signing for Ipswich Town.
QPR's league form has been almost as bad as Luton's, with the Loftus Road club picking up just two points so far. But they have chalked up two victories in the EFL Cup, the latest coming on penalties after a 1-1 draw with the Hatters in midweek.
The clubs now face off on league duty just a few days later and Luton Town will be desperate to exact revenge for that cup exit.
How the bookies view it: Hatters ready to roar back
Despite their poor form so far, Luton Town are Betfred's 4/5 favourites for this game with home advantage. Queens Park Rangers are 3/1 outsiders while a second successive draw between these sides is priced at 12/5.
Recent head to head: QPR have the edge
QPR have held the upper hand in recent years, with the last 15 meetings producing eight victories for the Hoops compared to just four for Luton Town. But it was the Hatters who won both league fixtures two years ago when these sides were last in the Championship together, including a 3-1 triumph at home.
Players to watch: Chong a Luton livewire
Luton Town have scored just once in the league so far this term and it was Tahith Chong who provided the finish. The former Manchester United kid is always lively and looks decent value at 16/5 for another goal.
Queen's Park Rangers boss Marti Cifuentes has been rotating his strikers so it might be best backing a midfielder to score for them. Sam Field scored four times in the last few months of last term and is a chunky 17/2 to break his duck for this campaign.
Probable line-ups
Both managers should make changes from the midweek cup tie, although Edwards did field a pretty strong side for that game. Jack Colback returns from a ban for QPR.
Luton Town: Shea; Bell, Mengi, McGuinness; Nelson, Baptiste, Clark, Doughty; Morris, Chong; Adebayo
Queens Park Rangers: Nardi; Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal; Madsen, Field; Colback, Dembele, Saito; Frey
Anything else catch the eye?
Going for goals paid off for me when Luton Town played Burnley on day one and I thought they would be involved in plenty of thrillers this season. But the goals have dried up late, with over 2.5 strikes failing to land in their last three outings.
QPR's last two matches have ended in 1-1 draws but I've a feeling we will see more goalmouth action here as both sides need a win. Over 2.5 goals pays 4/5 at Betfred while BTTS is 8/11 but combining them together boosts the odds to 21/20.
Corners are always a good option with Luton and they've racked up 15 across their last two games. It ended 12-1 to them on the corner count in midweek and that match was away from home. So Luton -2 in the corner handicap looks good value at 20/21 with Bet365, who also price over 6.5 home corners at 6/5.
This England Championship match between Luton Town and Queens Park Rangers will be played on Aug 30, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Luton Town vs Queens Park Rangers prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
