Preston vs Bristol City prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-01-12 15:00.
Seven defeats in their last ten Championship games (W2, D1) have heaped the pressure on Preston boss Ryan Lowe, whose relationship with the club’s fanbase is waning, and so too may be his connection with the Lilywhites squad after he openly admitted they “lack quality” following a 2-0 defeat at Sunderland in their last league outing.
Losing four of their last five at Deepdale (W1), North End have conceded an eye-watering 24 goals in the league on home soil to this point, the most of any team in the division. But despite their mid-season slump, Lowe’s side remain just five points outside the play-offs in a tightly packed mid-table, though to close that gap they will need to improve upon a six-match winless run (D3, L3) against Saturday’s opponents Bristol City.
The 11th-placed Robins have been unable to capitalise on three consecutive victories by failing to win their last two Championship games. With no goals in those games, they now face the prospect of going three in a row without scoring for the first time since April 2021. Liam Manning’s side will, however, be buoyed after earning an FA Cup replay against Premier League outfit West Ham courtesy of a draw in the capital, which Manning described as “outstanding”.
On the road again, City go in search of a second consecutive league win at Deepdale for the very first time having won 2-1 here last season. If this season is anything to go by, then this match is likely to be decided by a one-goal margin, as no team in the Championship has seen more games decided by a single strike than Manning’s side (16 – W8, L8) at this stage of the campaign.
Players to watch: All four of Milutin Osmajić’s goals for Preston this campaign have come at Deepdale, and all in the second half. Tommy Conway remains Bristol City’s main threat, scoring at West Ham last time out to make it seven for the season in all competitions, four of which came away from home, while he’s yet to taste defeat against PNE (W1, D1).
Hot stat: There has been just two goalless draws in the 30 games between this pair since the turn of the millennium.