Reading vs Preston prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-11-03 20:00.
Just as the law of averages suggests that things will balance out over time, Reading are finally sliding to a more expected position after a recent run of one win from seven games (D2, L4) has scuppered their brilliant start. Boss Paul Ince stated that he was “pleased with the clean sheet” in their midweek goalless draw at Luton, although they’ll need to sharpen up in attack if they want to start winning games again.
Reading will be happy to return home then, as only two of the ten visiting sides here this season were able to keep the Royals off the scoresheet, helping them to six league wins at home already. Impressively, the Royals can now equal last season’s total return of seven home league wins with another here, suggesting that fears of a relegation battle could be unwarranted. Indeed a strong recent H2H history will buoy Reading further, after seven victories across the last nine encounters with Preston North End (D1, L1).
After stating that his side were “tactically spot on” in a 1-0 win over Swansea last time out, Preston boss Ryan Lowe now turns his attention to winning just a third away league H2H in the last 23 attempts. That Swansea win moved Preston to within striking distance of the top-six and has confirmed that this is a better 19-game return than in seven of their last eight campaigns.
That success has largely been built upon rock-solid foundations, and the Lilywhites have now kept 11 clean sheets which is comfortably a league-high. That impressive record of shutting sides out has contributed in no small part to their joint league-best defensive record of just 15 goals conceded, although having one of the weakest attacks in the division has hampered them at times.
Key battle: Reading boss Ince will be proud of his son Tom Ince after he hit three goal contributions across his last four games (G2, A1), although both scoring appearances ended in defeat. Trying to stop him will be defender Jordan Storey who has played a big part in Preston’s impressive defensive performances to date, but is not afraid to get stuck in either having already accrued a joint league-high seven yellow cards.
Hot stat: Reading are unbeaten in seven of their last eight home league games played on a Friday (W6, D1).