Both seeking to start the 2025-26 English Championship season on a positive note, QPR will lock horns with Preston at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts finished up in mid-table last season, while Preston pulled off the great escape to secure their status in the division for another season.
QPR will come into the new season with a new manager in the dugout, with Julian Stephan the man chosen to replace Marti Cifuentes.
The new Hoops boss has brought in five new players so far, most notably picking up the highly-sought after Kwame Poku from Peterborough on a free transfer.
As for Preston, they will be targeting a more comfortable season this time around after avoiding relegation by the skin of their teeth last term.
Lilywhites boss Paul Heckingbottom has been very active over the summer, with no fewer than nine new recruits arriving at Deepdale at the time of writing.
How the bookies view it: Hoops to hit the ground running
QPR are expected to hit the ground running on Saturday afternoon, with a home win priced up at 5/4 on Boylesports.
Preston are 21/10 outsiders on Boylesports while a share of the Loftus Road spoils can be backed at 2/1 with the same bookmaker.
Head to head: Hoops hoping for more of the same
QPR have triumphed in each of the last four meetings between the pair, winning each of last season’s two encounters 2-1 – the same scoreline on Saturday can be backed at 17/2 with Boylesports.
Given QPR's strong record in this fixture, the aforementioned 5/4 about a home win on Saturday afternoon looks well worthy of support.
Players to watch: Poku to come to the party?
Having hit 12 goals and registered 11 assists for Peterborough last season, QPR new boy Kwame Poku stands out to register a goal involvement on Saturday afternoon at 7/5 on Bet 365.
Milutin Osmajic was Preston’s leading goalscorer last season, hitting 15 goals across all competitions. The Montenegrin forward is as big as 3/1 on Boylesports to make the net bulge in West London this weekend.
Predicted line-ups
QPR defensive duo Jimmy Dunne and Steve Cook are both rated as doubtful while Michael Frey and Zan Celar look set to miss out for the hosts.
Preston boss Heckingbottom will be unable to call upon the services of injured quartet Brad Potts, Jordan Thompson, Robbie Brady and Will Keane.
QPR: Walsh; Dunne, Mbengue, Cook, Larkeche; Field, Morgan; Smyth, Dembele, Poku; Chair
Preston: Iversen; Gibson, Lindsay, Vukcevic; Offiah, Frokjaer-Jensen, Thordarson, McCann; Small; Osmajic, Jebbison
Anything else catch the eye?
Ali McCann looks a great value option to collect a card during this contest at 3/1 on UniBet.
The all-action Northern Irishman racked up nine yellow cards across his 34 appearances for Preston in last season’s English Championship.
Alternatively, McCann can be backed at 19/2 on BetVictor to be the first player to go into the book at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon.
GambleAware