Saturday Championship Tips: Preston to frustrate underwhelming Hornets

Watford to drop yet more points on the road

Preston 2.915/8 v Watford 2.747/4; The Draw 3.211/5

Preston boss Ryan Lowe described his side's midweek display against Rotherham as one of the best he's seen since arriving in Lancashire. PNE dominated throughout the contest in South Yorkshire, yet somehow failed to find the net once again. Emil Riis and Brad Potts both hit the woodwork as the Lilywhites struggled to convert their opportunities for the third time this campaign.

At the other end, PNE have been imperious and are yet to concede a goal. Although they haven't endured the toughest fixture list, they are unlikely to be breached easily this season with Liam Lindsay and Jordan Storey performing admirably in recent weeks.

Watford fans were also left disappointed by their side's inability to convert on Tuesday night with the Hornets dropping points in the West Midlands. Rob Edwards' side have yet to score more than a single goal in a game so far this season and with Joao Pedro reportedly heading to Newcastle, their strikeforce looks set to be diminished further.

Nevertheless, the Hertfordshire outfit are tough to beat and this could be a tight game. Using the Bet Builder, we can take Preston Double Chance and add Under 2.5 Goals at around 11/10.

Another entertaining 90 minutes in Staffordshire

Stoke 2.1411/10 v Sunderland 3.814/5; The Draw 3.412/5

Stoke managed to salvage a point on Wednesday evening with D'Margio Wright-Phillips finding the net in injury time. Despite the result, Michael O'Neill remains under pressure and this is a match which many Stoke fans will be expecting to win. The Potters have kept just a single clean sheet so far and having conceded seven times in their first four encounters, they simply must tighten up.

Sunderland fell to their first defeat of the season on Wednesday evening but still managed to find the back of the net despite playing the majority of the contest with 10 men. Alex Neil's side are very entertaining to watch and are not afraid to pour forward. They should be able to find gaps in the Stoke rear-guard.

Back BTTS in Stoke vs Sunderland @ 1.865/6

Another low-scoring encounter at the Hawthorns

West Brom 1.564/7 v Hull 76/1; The Draw 4.131/10

Steve Bruce cut a frustrated figure as he bemoaned his side's inability to convert their chances again. Only Norwich and Preston have fired in more shots than the Baggies with the Midland's outfit scoring from just three of their 57 efforts so far.

They're averaging 14.25 shots on target per match, yet they failed to find a way past Cardiff on Wednesday night. With Daryl Dike injured, there is a huge amount of expectation on the shoulders of the club's only fit striker, Karlan Grant, and he is struggling to recapture last season's form.

Hull held Burnley to 1-1 draw in midweek to continue their superb start to the campaign. Shota Arveladze's side are tough to beat and have picked up a point in each of their opening two away fixtures. Having left Turf Moor with a share of the spoils, they won't be overawed by this trip to the Hawthorns and should be able to restrict the misfiring Baggies.

Back Under 2.5 Goals in West Brom vs Hull @ 1.845/6

Swans and Hatters to share the points

Swansea 2.466/4 v Luton 2.982/1; The Draw 3.259/4

Swansea imploded on Tuesday night and Russell Martin was understandably furious with his side's inability to hold onto the lead. The Welsh club were comfortable for 93 minutes and they must find a way to put that disappointment firmly behind them. On a positive note, it was a far better performance overall from the Swans and things appear to be slowly coming together.

Luton rallied in the final 10 minutes, but Nathan Jones' side couldn't find a way past 10-man Bristol City on Tuesday night. It's been a disappointing start for the Bedfordshire outfit and they have failed to net in three of their first four matches. Nevertheless, they remain fairly difficult to break down and they do tend to fare well against possession-based opponents.

Back Draw in Swansea vs Luton @ 2.466/4

Entertaining 90 mins in Berkshire

Reading 3.3512/5 v Middlesbrough 2.166/5; The Draw 3.5551/20

Reading provided the perfect response to last weekend's embarrassing 4-0 defeat by easing past Blackburn on Wednesday evening. Although Paul Ince's description of 'world class' may have been slightly overzealous, it was a much improved display from the Royals, who have proven extremely effective in their own fans so far.

They've failed to find the net on the road, yet they've scored five times at the Madjeski and should be able to find a way past Boro's leaky defence.

Middlesbrough picked up yet another 2-2 draw in midweek, although Chris Wilder will feel understandably aggrieved that his side didn't pick up maximum points in the Potteries. They've conceded two goals in each of their last three and another high-scoring contest awaits.

Blades to edge past Rovers

Sheffield United 1.84/5 v Blackburn 5.14/1; The Draw 3.814/5

Sheffield United continued their dominance at Bramall Lane on Wednesday night with the Blades deservedly seeing off Sunderland. They outshot the Wearsiders 22-4 and although this is a quick turnaround, they will be expected to chalk up yet another home victory on Saturday afternoon.

They've suffered just a single defeat at this ground (excluding play-offs) since the end of October 2021 and despite a raft of fresh injuries, they are still incredibly effective at both ends of the field.

Blackburn's unbeaten run came to a crashing halt on Wednesday night with Jon Dahl Tomasson apologising to the travelling fans. The data suggests that Rovers have been over-performing with the Lancashire club having fired in the third fewest shots so far.

Having scored with six of their 29 efforts, they were always unlikely to sustain this conversion rate and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them register consecutive defeats.

Back Sheffield United to beat Blackburn @ 1.84/5

Millers to frustrate QPR in West London

QPR 2.1211/10 v Rotherham 3.8514/5; The Draw 3.55/2

QPR slumped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat in front of the TV cameras on Tuesday night. Mick Beale's men created plenty of chances in the second half, yet were unable to find a way past a dogged and determined Blackpool defence. The hosts were once again without Chris Willock, and although fans are hopeful that the playmaker will make his return this weekend, he may be eased back in gently.

Rotherham withstood a barrage of pressure from Preston on Tuesday and managed to come away with a hard-earned point. Paul Warne's side are tough to break down and the addition of former Man City defender Cameron Humphreys appears to be a masterstroke. He was superb on Tuesday evening and could easily nullify the threat of Lyndon Dykes here.

Wigan to continue their positive start

Birmingham 2.568/5 v Wigan 3.052/1; The Draw 3.259/4

Birmingham somehow survived a Watford onslaught on Tuesday night with the Blues picking up an unexpected point against one of the pre-season favourites. John Eustace's side are still short of quality. However, they've suffered just a single defeat so far and are yet to lose on their own patch. They are managing to stay in games and despite their lack of numbers, they have plenty of spirit and determination.

Wigan are also enjoying a positive start to the campaign. The Latics have played a game fewer than Brum, however, Leam Richardson's side are yet to taste defeat this season. They were able to benefit from a rest in midweek and that could make the difference here. They've also faced the second fewest shots in the second tier and should be able to keep the hosts at arm's length.

Back Wigan Draw No Bet (vs Birmingham) @ 21/1

Low-scoring Lancashire derby at Turf Moor

Burnley 1.594/7 v Blackpool 6.411/2; The Draw 4.47/2

Things haven't quite clicked for Vincent Kompany at Burnley. The Clarets are playing well, yet they haven't been able to convert those performances into points. They've faced just six shots on target so far this season, yet they've somehow conceded three times and having netted just three of their 55 efforts on goal, they need to sharpen up in the final third. With the possibility of further arrivals and some subtle tweaking from the Belgian coach, fans should still be confident of a productive season for the Lancashire outfit.

Blackpool picked up their second victory of the campaign on Tuesday night as Michael Appleton's side held on to record a 1-0 success in West London. The Seasiders aren't blessed with attacking talent and are likely to rely on defensive solidity to pull them through. They will look to frustrate their near-neighbours on Saturday afternoon.

Back Under 2.5 Goals in Burnley vs Blackpool @ 1.9210/11