Preston v Sheffield United: Back BTTS on Exchange in Championship curtain-raiser

• Preston overachieved last season

• Sheff Utd recovering from a Premier League nightmare

• Goals the most attractive option at Deepdale

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Preston v Sheffield United
Friday August 9, 20:00
Live on Sky Sports

Preston overachieved last time out

Preston posted a 10th-placed finish last season, thanks largely to the blistering start Ryan Lowe's men made (W6-D2-L0). Having sat top of the Championship tree in late September, North End managed just 43 points from their final 38 league fixtures with just four clubs collecting fewer points in that same sample, three of which ended up suffering relegation.

Underlying performance data suggested the Lilywhites overachieved with PNE delivering a negative goal difference, whilst being ranked 21st on the Expected Points (xP) ladder. Only rock-bottom Rotherham generated a lower Expected Goals (xG) output across the campaign, with Preston also second-worst for shots, on-target attempts and Big Chances.

Losing midfield heartbeat Alan Browne is an undoubted blow, though there's hope that Sam Greenwood and Stefan Teitur Thordarson can give the group a touch of freshness, the latter a well-respected goalscoring midfielder from Scandinavia. However, Ali McCann, Layton Stewart and Freddie Woodman are all rated doubtful for the season opener on Friday.

Sheffield United in recovery mode

Sheffield United endured a nightmare Premier League season last time out as relegation was confirmed with three games to play. The Blades had been stuck inside the bottom-three since late September, conceded a record number of Premier League goals in 2023/24, and were also handed a club record league defeat during an 8-0 annihilation against Newcastle.

Chris Wilder remains in situ as the two-time promotion winner bids to put United back on firm footing. The protracted mooted takeover surrounding the club has complicated pre-season preparations, yet the squad has still been strengthened with a number of impressive recruits, including Callum O'Hare, Kieffer Moore, Sam McCallum and Harrison Burrows.

With Gus Hamer, Vini Souza and Anel Ahmedhodzic still at Bramall Lane, the Blades have a side that's capable of competing towards the upper echelons of the Championship. Of course, the squad still looks a little light and unbalanced in areas but Wilder has options ahead of the campaign curtain-raiser on Friday night.

Neither side appeal at the prices

Preston are winless in their last six league matches against Sheffield United (W0-D2-L4), losing both meetings between the clubs in their last season together in 2022/23. Interestingly, the Blades have won 49 of their overall 110 league games against PNE - their highest win rate against any of the 19 sides they've faced 100+ times in history (45%).

Preston 3.052/1 ended last term with five successive defeats by an aggregate 11-0 - the club's worst run since 1994 - and the Lilywhites have failed to success in the opening game in any of the last five curtain-raisers. The hosts recorded W5-D2-L4 when welcoming top-half teams in 2023/24, striking at least twice on six occasions, beating both Ipswich and Leeds.

Sheffield United 2.486/4 have been beaten without scoring in each of their last four season-openers, and the Blades have pocketed solitary success in their last 10 matchday one encounters. The visitors bagged a single victory on their travels during their disastrous EPL campaign and could be a touch vulnerable here following a tumultuous 12 months.

Back Both Teams To Score

I'm happy to avoid the two teams here in the major markets and instead have an interest in Both Teams To Score at 1.774/5. Pre-season friendlies are an irrelevance, yet four of Sheffield United's warm-up contests saw both sides score, and Preston only managed to keep their sheets clean when facing non-league Bamber Bridge and League Two side Salford.

In five of the last eight MD1s, the Championship has seen the average goals per-game output eclipse that of the seasonal average with a minimum of 2.83 goals delivered during that same sample. Meanwhile, PNE saw this market pay-out in 15 of their 23 Deepdale dates last term with the hosts managing one clean sheet against top-10 visitors.

Now read Mark's 1-24 Championship predictions before the season kicks off!