Preston v Blackburn predictions, betting tips and odds

Where to watch Preston v Blackburn

Sky Sports Football & Main Event, 5.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Preston
1pt 31-20 general

Preston v Blackburn odds

Preston 31-20
Blackburn 19-10
Draw 9-4

Odds correct at time of publishing

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Preston v Blackburn team news

Preston
Ched Evans, Alan Browne and Emil Riis Jakobsen will miss the rest of the season and Greg Cunningham is unavailable.

Blackburn
Joe Rankin-Costello, Sam Gallagher and Callum Brittain are doubts. Daniel Ayala, John Buckley, Jack Vale, Sam Barnes and Clinton Mola remain sidelined but Harry Pickering returns to the squad.

Preston v Blackburn predictions

The battle for Championship playoff places remains incredibly tight and a key skirmish takes place at Deepdale on Saturday when 11th-placed Preston host sixth-placed local rivals Blackburn.

Preston have the least margin for error among the seven teams who still harbour realistic hope of securing one of the final two playoff places on offer.

And they need to find a response after an ill-tempered 4-2 loss at Swansea on Wednesday night when North End boss Ryan Lowe and Swansea midfielder Joe Allen were both shown red cards.

However, some favourable results elsewhere will have improved Preston's mood a little and they are still in with a shout of securing a playoff berth given that they start the weekend just two points adrift of the top six.

Some poor home results blighted Preston in the early part of the season but they have won their last three at Deepdale and have a good opportunity against Rovers, who are hanging on to sixth despite a five-game winless run.

Rovers conceded an injury-time equaliser in Wednesday's 1-1 draw at home to Coventry and ended the contest with concerns over Joe Rankin-Costello, Callum Brittain and Sam Gallagher, who were all forced off against the Sky Blues.

Blackburn finished the game without any natural full-backs on the pitch and their mounting injury list will be a huge concern to head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson at such a crucial stage of the season.

Tomasson's men have endured some miserable derby days this term, losing 3-0 away to Burnley and 4-1 at home to Preston, and another damaging defeat may be on the cards.

Key stat

Preston have won their last three home matches.

Probable teams

Preston (3-1-4-2): Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Whiteman; Potts, Johnson, Ledson, Fernandez; Parrott, Cannon.
Subs: Cornell, Brady, McCann, Diaby, Onomah, Woodburn, Delap.

Blackburn (4-3-3): Pears; Thomas, Carter, Hyam, Pickering; Travis, A Wharton, Szmodics; Hedges, Dolan, Brereton Diaz.
Subs: Kaminski, Rankin-Costello, Gallagher, Brittain, Dack, Morton, S Wharton.

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