- Preston form: Preston have won just one of their last five matches and are on a 4-game losing streak.
- Blackburn away form: Blackburn are unbeaten away from home in the Championship 2026/2027 (P1, W0, D1).
- Head-to-head: Blackburn have the better of the recent head-to-head record between these Lancashire rivals (W3, D2, L0).
Side with the visitors in tight-looking Deepdale affair
Odds and selection
The odds on this game are both priced at 2.62 while the draw is 3.25. However, our selection is to side with Rovers because the visitors have enjoyed this game more than the Lilywhites in recent years and they also have the more consistent form on the road through the early weeks of the season.
Recent form
Preston have made a woeful start, sitting 23rd in the standings after picking up zero points from their first three games. It doesn't get much better when looking at their form across all competitions either, as Paul Heckingbottom's side have lost their last three games, which have come in the shape of a 1-3 home defeat to Wolverhampton, a 0-4 home loss to Everton in the EFL Cup and a 1-0 away defeat at Charlton Athletic.
Blackburn, while hardly stellar in their own right, have had a more solid start to the season, sitting 10th in the Championship 2026/2027 with four points from three games. The one thing that they have going for them is that they don't have as many poor results in their recent record, having won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five games.
Midfield battle and wing delivery may prove decisive
While Preston have been poor overall, their home form has been even worse with one win and two defeats from their three home games. Heckingbottom has kept them compact and pragmatic since taking over in August 2024 and his three-at-the-back shape can be quite effective when they can flood the middle of the park and counterattack quickly.
Tony Mowbray has also done a very good job with Blackburn since taking charge in July 2026 as his team have been well-drilled in a more flank-focused system that relies on some control in midfield and organised pressing to win the ball back.
- Lilywhites' Andrija Vukcevic has been a creative spark in the Championship 2026/2027 with one assist in two games, but Jordan Thompson has been their main goal threat with a solitary goal in three appearances.
- Rovers' Andri Gudjohnsen has two goals in his first three Championship 2026/2027 games, but it has been Todd Cantwell who has been buzzing with two goals during their current five-game run in which they have scored six.
Rovers can squeeze through in a tight game
Preston's problem is they simply have not been scoring enough goals, averaging 1.00 per game at home in the Championship 2026/2027 and it is evident that they need more of a goal threat than a solitary strike.
Rovers have been more goal-happy, averaging 2.00 goals scored and conceded away from home in the Championship 2026/2027, which would suggest that the goals could flow in this away trip. However, Preston's low-block counter-attacking game may not be well suited to Blackburn's wider build-up, so the midfield battle and the quality of delivery from the wings could decide this.
Under 2.5 goals at 1.73 looks the value bet in this one, as it is a cagey Lancashire derby, but Blackburn have enjoyed the better of the game in recent seasons and are the more reliable of the two when on the road, so we are giving them the edge.
