Preston vs Birmingham prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-09-18 18:45.
Despite entering the Championship season not even in the top half of favoured contenders for promotion, Preston North End will enjoy some more time at the top of the standings after registering five consecutive league wins for the first time since they won promotion back to the second tier at the end of 2014/15. The Lilywhites have already registered their best beginning to any campaign since 1928/29 prior to the international window, a start manager Ryan Lowe described as one he ācould only imagineā.
Whilst stopping short of declaring it the perfect performance, Lowe enthused that his players āput everything on the lineā to protect their lead against Plymouth Argyle (W 2-1) after charging out of the blocks to register their first half-time lead of the Championship season. No club registered fewer opening goals than Preston (15) last term, but as they took home more points per game (2.8) than any other club when scoring first, itās no surprise to see the Lancashire outfit converting a solid start into a victory.
Birmingham City were also undefeated heading into the international break (W3, D2), but their fun came to an end when losing āto nilā at Watford – the sixth consecutive time theyāve been defeated by the Hornets in such a way. Thereās no curse hanging over John Eustaceās men as far as this particular fixture is concerned, although their corresponding trip to Deepdale in 2022/23 (W 1-0) was one of six away Championship wins against clubs who eventually finished above them.
Their top-six position going into this midweek round of fixtures should be taken with a pinch of salt, particularly given they were a top-ten club after six rounds in three of their seven consecutive seasons of bottom-third finishes prior to this campaign. Still, the dramatic loss to Watford can be quickly forgiven and forgotten as they had been reduced to ten men just minutes before the hosts struck twice in second-half stoppage time.
Players to watch: With his match opener against Plymouth, Prestonās Duane Holmes already has three home goals across all competitions – already matching his career best for competitive home strikes in a single season. In the absence of the suspended Lukas Jutkiewicz, Birmingham need more from Scott Hogan, who scored one goal apiece in the Championship and the Carabao Cup last month prior to Jutkiewiczās ban.
Hot streak: All 12 matches involving either club this Championship season have produced fewer than 3.5 total goals (average: 2.17).