Saturday Championship Tips: Hatters to leave Deepdale with maximum points

Jack Critchley
19 March 2021
5:00 min read

Nathan Jones will be hoping that his side can secure back-to-back Championship victories

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Championship expert Jack Critchley believes that Preston North End's poor form looks set to continue as they host Luton on Saturday afternoon...

PNE to slump to third consecutive defeat

Preston 2.486/4 v Luton 3.1511/5; The Draw 3.45
Saturday, 15:00

Preston's poor form continued in midweek as the Lilywhites were defeated at the Riverside Stadium. Alex Neil has seen his side slump to 16th in the table, and although they have a 12 point cushion over the bottom three, fans are still a little concerned that they could get sucked into a relegation battle. PNE have played more games than the majority of the sides at the bottom of the Championship table, and with just three wins in 2021, only Huddersfield, Wycombe and Sheffield Wednesday have picked up fewer points so far this calendar year.

Neil's men have netted just nine times since the turn of the year, which is the lowest in the division, and they've now fired back-to-back blanks. The Scot was pleased with the fight shown by his side on Tuesday night, however, he admitted that he was concerned about his player's lack of effort and application at Adams Park just three days earlier.

Supporters are understandably frustrated with recent performances, and the January refresh has seemingly failed to have the desired effect. Everton loanee Anthony Gordon has impressed during his brief cameos so far, and many fans were disappointed to see the winger left out of the matchday squad in midweek. Neil suggested that the wideman was being preserved for this weekend's clash, and he could provide a much-needed spark in the final third. Ched Evans does have a couple of goals to his name, but isn't likely to be prolific at this level, whereas Sepp Van den Berg has been solid, without being spectacular. Alan Browne's dismissal is a significant blow, and Preston will be forced into a midfield reshuffle as a result.

PNE's xG numbers have been very poor, and prior to Tuesday's defeat, they've produced an average of just 0.65 across the last four games. At home, they've netted 2+ goals in just one of their last seven matches, and the Hatter's defence will fancy their chances of keeping them off the scoresheet yet again.

Luton eased to a 2-0 success in midweek, making full use of their man advantage against Coventry. They fired in 20 shots throughout the 90 minutes, with 17 of those efforts coming from inside the box. That victory effectively sealed their place in the division, and it's difficult to see the Bedfordshire side being dragged back into trouble from their relatively comfortable midtable spot.

James Bree scored his first professional goal and Elijah Adebayo also hit the back of the net at Kenilworth Road. Nathan Jones was delighted with his side's performance, and his team created several decent chances with Harry Cornick at the heart of everything positive.

On the road, Luton have struggled for firepower this season and are yet to score more than a single goal in any away game this season. However, they have recorded six victories, and their penchant for a 1-0 success on their travels has served them well. They've already beaten Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Birmingham by this score-line, and with the hosts struggling to create meaningful opportunities, this could be the perfect time to secure their seventh away day success.

At 3.1511/5 on the Exchange, it could be worth backing the Hatters to inflict yet more misery on their beleaguered hosts.

Low-scoring 90 minutes at St.Andrews

Coventry 1.814/5 v Wycombe 5.24/1; The Draw 3.711/4
Saturday, 15:00

"Basic errors" were to blame for Coventry's defeat at Kenilworth Road in midweek and Mark Robins bemoaned his side's sloppy performance in Bedfordshire. However, they've only lost back-to-back Championship games once since the beginning of November and they will be expected to bounce back on Saturday afternoon.

The Sky Blues are also much stronger at St.Andrews, and have won two of their last three games at this venue. The hosts are also much harder to breach in the West Midlands, with Derby, Brentford and Watford all failing to find the back of net here in 2021. Too many draws have been their undoing, and although they are far from safe, it's their home form which is likely to keep them in the division.

Kyle McFadzean's red card is a blow, and the defender will miss this weekend's clash. However, the return of Matty Godden should certainly help beef up their strikeforce. The forward has missed a large chunk of the campaign, however, he played 18 minutes in midweek, and should be fit enough for a start this weekend. The 29-year old is a bit of a handful and should give the Wycombe defence plenty to think about. Maxime Biamou has struggled on his own in recent weeks, and Godden's return should help the hosts keep the ball in the opposition's half for longer.

With the likes of Callum O'Hare, Sam McCallum and Matty James providing plenty of service, the return of Godden could help swing this tie in Coventry's favour.

Wycombe remain 12 points from safety, however, Gareth Ainsworth's side continue to believe that they have enough to avoid the drop this season. Last weekend's 1-0 victory against Preston was a shot in the arm, however, Wednesday's defeat to in-form Barnsley was an unwanted set-back. The Chairboys are full of fight, and they will battle throughout the 90 minutes. They will look to make things difficult for their opponents on Saturday afternoon.

On their travels, they've struggled for firepower, and have failed to find the net in each of their last four away games. They've scored just 13 times on the road this season, with three of those goals having been notched at the John Smith's Stadium.

Uche Ikpeazu is a complete menace and has proven effective at Championship level, whereas Joe Jacobson's set-piece deliveries are likely to cause a few problems for the Coventry defence. However, given Coventry's defensive prowess at St.Andrews, they are likely to have their work cut out this weekend.

Coventry should win this game, however, too many 0-0 draws have held them back here. At a slightly bigger price of 1.9420/21 on the Exchange, backing BTTS? No could be the best option.

Plenty of entertainment at the Madejski

Reading 2.245/4 v QPR 3.711/4; The Draw 3.39/4
Saturday, 15:00

Despite suffering a midweek defeat to Birmingham, Reading remain in the play-off places, and the Royals will still fancy their chances of finishing inside the top six. Veljko Paunovic's side weren't at their best on Wednesday night, and having failed to win either of their last two Championship matches, they simply must bounce back here.

Worryingly, they were largely out-played by the struggling Blues and produced just three shots on target throughout the 90 minutes. The return of Yakou Meite has been a huge coup for the Berkshire outfit, and the big striker was back amongst the goals in midweek. They have plenty of individual talent, and the likes of Michael Olise, Alfa Semedo and Lucas Joao can produce moments of magic on a regular basis, however, none of the talented trio were able to get going at St.Andrews.

Paunovic's men have scored in 11 of their last 12 home fixtures, with only Middlesbrough having kept them off the score-sheet since the beginning of November. Despite their lack of clinical edge in midweek, their xG numbers continue to deliver, and an average of 1.66 across the last four games suggests that they should have enough quality in the final third to make the breakthrough here.

QPR were involved in one of the most entertaining games of the season as they eventually ran out 3-2 winners against Millwall on Wednesday evening. Mark Warburton's side remain a little inconsistent, however, they've enjoyed a hugely positive 2021, and their dealings in the transfer window have certainly helped to freshen up the squad. The likes of Charlie Austin and Stefan Johansen have helped to add some much-needed quality to the XI, and although both players are unlikely to deliver across a 46-game season, they are able to make a positive short-term difference to the West Londoners.

Chris Willock has also significantly improved in recent weeks and the Benfica loanee is constantly looking to create. With Ilias Chair enjoying a hugely productive campaign, there is plenty to like about this Rs squad.

They've netted nine times in their last six Championship matches and have only failed to score once on the road since the beginning of December.

They've also only lost one of their last nine away matches, and although they are relatively tempting at a chunky price, it makes more sense to back BTTS in this one. It is available at 1.981/1 on the Exchange.

You can follow Jack Critchley on Twitter @jcritch7