Watford vs Preston prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-04-05 14:00.
[p]Caught in a mid-table abyss, Watford are simply playing for pride in their remaining six Championship games. A top-half finish is their most achievable aim for the rest of the campaign, but for a side who’ve won only three league games in 2024 (D6, L6), even that seems a long shot, not least because all three of those wins came away from home![/p]
[p]In fact, you’d have to go all the way back to November 2023 for Watford’s last home league win (D4, L6 since), making them the only Championship side not to have won any of their last ten such games. Where there’s Preston there’s hope for Watford though, as the Hornets have won three of the last five H2Hs against the Lancashire side (D2) and haven’t been beaten on home turf by North End since 2005 (W3, D3). [/p]
[p]That’s a daunting record for play-off chasing Preston to overcome, but if they’re serious about realising their top-six ambitions, then they’ll have to jump this psychological barrier. A 1-0 away defeat to Birmingham on Easter Monday dented their play-off hopes and left them five points shy of the final play-off spot ahead of the round, but with sixth-placed Norwich facing table-topping Ipswich this weekend, they’ll hope the door remains ajar for them. [/p]
[p]The best thing Ryan Lowe’s side can do is focus on their own matters, and they should travel confident they can collect a result given their impressive recent league form (W6, D3, L2). The fact both of those defeats have come in their last four would suggest North End are slowing up a little, but with Monday’s defeat at Birmingham their first away from home in the league since late January (W3, D1), bouncing back on the road is within the realms of possibility. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Watford’s Mileta Rajović was on target in their 2-2 draw against West Brom on Monday – his third goal from his last four to serve as the game’s second and arrive after the hour mark. Lowe trusted 19-year-old Noah Mawene from the off against Birmingham, and interestingly, his dad (Youl Mawene) was a starter in the last Preston team to win at Watford back in 2005![/p]
[p]Hot stat: Watford have conceded exactly twice in four of their last five home league games. [/p]