Preston vs Blackburn prediction: Points can go to PNE

Preston North End have been one of the surprise packages in this season’s Championship, and they face their Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers in the Friday night match at Deepdale (8pm, Sky Sports Football).

The Lilywhites are fourth in the league table, and a win would see them leapfrog second-placed Middlesbrough for a few hours at least. Seen as a potential relegation candidate by betting sites at the start of the season, their recent form has seen Preston’s Championship promotion odds cut to 20/1.

PNE go into the game 10 points and 15 places above their Lancashire rivals, who are just three places above the relegation zone.

It’s been a frustrating start to the season for Valerien Ismael’s Blackburn side, who lost seven of their first 10 league matches, but they do go into the game with three wins from their last four.

They beat Southampton, Leicester and Bristol City before losing 2-1 last time out to Derby County, and have been solid on the road. Could they disrupt Preston’s early-season promotion push?

Preston have lost just three times so far this season, and those defeats came against Portsmouth, West Brom and Birmingham, but they go into this game on the back of three wins and a draw.

They beat Sheffield United, Southampton and Swansea before drawing 1-1 away at Millwall last time out, against the side managed by their former boss Alex Neil.

The last three meetings between the two sides at Deepdale have all ended in draws, two score draws and last season’s goalless draw, and you can get 9/4 on some betting apps for another draw this time around.

Football betting sites are all backing Paul Heckingbottom’s side for the win, despite Preston winning just one of their last six meetings at home and just four of their last 12 derbies in total.

Both teams have scored in nine of PNE’s 17 matches in all competitions this season, and in seven of Blackburn’s and add in the local derby factor, and we can expect goals.

Preston vs Blackburn prediction 1: Preston to win & BTTS - 19/4 Unibet

Preston’s big strength is that they are getting goals from a wide range of players, with eight different names on the scoresheet in the Championship.

Milutin Osmajic is the leading scorer with four, but with him now serving a nine-match suspension, the responsibility will fall on the likes of Michael Smith, Lewis Dobbin and Daniel Jebbison, who have all shown flashes of brilliance this season.

Dobbin, on loan from Aston Villa, has scored four goals so far, including two in two in the wins against the Blades and Southampton.

He has scored the first goal three times, but his Championship odds to score anytime are big enough for us.

Preston vs Blackburn prediction 2: Dobbin to score at any time - 11/4 BoyleSports

Preston: Injuries have played a huge role for North End this season, and they could be without as many as 11 players for the visit, although Heckingbottom will hope the international break gave some players a chance to recover. Pol Valentin, Daniel Jebbison and Will Keane are all pushing for returns ahead of derby night, but Lewis Gibson, Andrija Vukcevic, Ali McCann, Brad Potts and Robbie Brady are all still out, along with the suspended Osmajic.

Blackburn: Rovers will be without defender Scott Wharton until next year, after he tore his Achilles tendon at Ashton Gate earlier this month. Goalkeeper Balazs Toth will also be missing after a knee injury, suffered in the same game, which ruled him out for three months.

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