Sunderland continue their promotion playoff push as they host Preston North End in a New Year’s Day Championship fixture. The Black Cats have been decent at home lately and should have too much for Preston, who have not been at their beat in recent weeks.
Sunderland are coming off a 1-1 draw with Rotherham United in their previous Championship fixture. After a goalless first half, they fell behind just after the restart and had to wait until late in the contest before Jack Clarke struck the equaliser.
The Black Cats are pushing for a promotion playoff place and are currently seventh on the table two points behind the top six. However, their recent form has been a bit erratic with three wins and two draws from their last seven matches.
In a bid to strengthen their push for the playoffs, Sunderland will be keen to make their home games count having won four of their last six matches at the Stadium of Light. Michael Beale’s men have beaten fellow playoff chasers Leeds United and West Brom in that run but have kept just a single clean sheet.
Preston North End are coming off a defeat as they were beaten 1-0 by Sheffield Wednesday last time out in the Champions. They fell behind early in the encounter and despite seeing plenty of possession, failed to find a leveller and finished with just two attempts on target.
That result is typical of Preston North End’s recent outings as they have lost three of their last four matches. Ryan Lowe’s men remain just outside the top half but could climb above Sunderland with a win on Monday.
Preston North End have also found things difficult on their travels with just two wins in their last nine away matches. They have been beaten five times in that run, including a 2-1 defeat at Swansea City in their previous fixture on the road.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have installed Sunderland as overwhelming favourites with a home win priced at 8/11 by William Hill. An unlikely victory for Preston North End is valued at 9/2 by Paddy Power while bet365 is offering odds of 3/1 for a draw.
Head to head
Preston North End have a 26-24 advantage with 22 draws from 72 previous matches against Sunderland. They also claimed a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in August.
Players to watch
Jack Clarke is the leading scorer for Sunderland with 12 Championship goals and will be the one to watch on Monday. The forward was also on target in the reverse fixture and is priced at 15/8 by bet365 to get on the score sheet.
Will Keane often carries the attacking threat for Preston North End and could be worth keeping an eye on. The forward has six Championship goals this season and is priced at 4/1 by Paddy Power to find the net on Monday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams were on target in the reverse fixture and a repeat is priced at 10/11 by Betfred. That fixture also produced over 2.5 goals, which is valued at 9/10 by Unibet, who is also offering odds of 12/5 for over 3.5 goals.
With Sunderland priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, a win and over 2.5 goals could be considered for more value at 8/5 with BoyleSports.
This England Championship match between Sunderland and Preston North End will be played on Jan 1, 2024 and kick off at 12:30. Check below for our tipsters best Sunderland 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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