Preston North End vs Birmingham City
18th July 1500hrs
Football – England – EFL Championship
Pick Home Win to Nil
Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 9/4 odds taken 1340 GMT, Friday 17 July
Preston North End’s EFL Championship play-off hopes are hanging by a thread, but Alex Neil’s Lilywhites will be looking for all three points this Saturday when lowly Birmingham City travel to Deepdale. Check out our Championship betting preview, with the latest odds and best tips around.
Table of Contents
Preston North End Preview – Will the Lilywhites end their home campaign with a win?
Preston North End have struggled to get going since the restart, winning just one of their seven fixtures. However, their problems started way before then, as they have picked up just two victories from ten.
After two draws and a win from three, Preston were beaten at Brentford in midweek. With Cardiff City winning, North End slipped five points behind the play-off places. Alex Neil’s men had a real go this season, but their stay in the Championship looks set to continue.
Preston were so formidable at home in the first half of the season, but the Lilywhites have won just twice at Deepdale since December. Since beating Hull City 2-1 in February, Preston have taken just one point from a possible 12 on their own patch.
The top six may be out of reach, but North End will want to finish their season on a high. After playing Birmingham at Deepdale at the weekend, Preston end their campaign with a trip to Bristol City.
Birmingham City Preview – Can the Blues pick up a rare three points?
Birmingham City have been on a terrible run over the past few months. After back-to-back wins over Bristol City and Barnsley, Birmingham were still in with a shout of making the play-offs in February. However, they have yet to win since.
City have drawn seven and lost five of their last 12 fixtures in the Championship. After four straight defeats, Birmingham stopped the rot with a hard-fought home draw with Charlton Athletic last Wednesday, with Lukas Jutkiewicz’s late goal rescuing an important point for the Blues.
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Birmingham are five points clear of the bottom three with two matches to go. With the club in freefall, the end of the season has come at just the right time for the Midlands outfit.
Preston North End vs Birmingham City Betting Advice
The last two meetings have ended in narrow 1-0 wins for Preston. At St Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium earlier in the season, Sean Maguire netted the only goal of the game for North End.
Key Facts – Preston North End vs Birmingham City Betting Tip
- Preston have won 50% of their home league matches this season
- Birmingham are without a win since beating Barnsley at Oakwell in February
- The Blues have taken just one point from the last 15 on offer
Neither side are in good form, but Preston will be hoping to make home advantage count. The hosts are available at the tempting odds of 9/4 to win to nil on Saturday.
Daniel Johnson has had another fine season at Deepdale. The 27-year-old has helped himself to 12 Championship goals, including two in his last six appearances. Johnson is priced at 13/2 to score the opening goal of this one.
The best betting odds for Preston North End vs Birmingham City
Preston North End to win: 19/20 at Bet365
Draw: 12/5 at Bet365
Birmingham City to win: 3/1 at Bet365
