- Preston North End are winless in the Championship 2026/2027 (W0 D0 L3).
- Blackburn Rovers are unbeaten away from home in the Championship 2026/2027 (W0 D1 L0).
- Preston are winless in their last 3 home H2H meetings with Blackburn, who won the last clash 1-0 at home in the Championship 2025/2026.
Back Rovers to pip close contest in Lancashire
Preston North End have made a miserable start to their Championship 2026/2027 campaign, propping up the table in 23rd place after collecting 0 points from 3 games so far. The Lilywhites enter Saturday's Lancashire derby on the back of three straight defeats (1-3 at home to Wolves, 0-4 at home to Everton in the EFL Cup and 1-0 away to Charlton), while they've also won just one of their last five in all competitions.
Blackburn Rovers enter Saturday's game in 10th place in the Championship 2026/2027 having picked up four points from their first three games, so Tony Mowbray's men will arrive at Deepdale with a slightly steadier platform to build from this season.
Mowbray has certainly had Rovers well drilled since his arrival in July 2026, as his team builds from wide, often controlling the game with the ball and pressing opponents efficiently when out of possession.
Midfield battle and wide play could be key
Paul Heckingbottom has had his side playing with a compact, pragmatic approach since taking the reins at Preston in August 2024. They generally play with three men at the back and flood the middle of the park with their midfield, countering vertically as much as possible.
So this could be a cagey match, but the fact that Blackburn have had the better of this rivalry in recent years makes an away win look more likely than a home win, although there's enough evidence to support a draw here.
But Blackburn have won three of the last five, drawing the other two. Rovers are also unbeaten on the road in the Championship 2026/2027 (D1, L0) compared to Preston who have lost one and won zero of their one home fixture so far, so we'll lean towards the visitors to get something here.
Spoils could be shared at Deepdale
A Blackburn edge is evident in the recent history and overall form, but the odds are very similar for both sides here with both at 81/50. The draw at 9/4 looks an alternative, but we're going with the away side in what promises to be a close encounter.
Under 2.5 goals at 73/100 looks the smart alternative market, but we're expecting a cagey, tactical affair that could see the spoils shared.
Jordan Thompson is Preston's biggest threat in the final third in the Championship 2026/2027 with 1 goal in 3 games, while Andrija Vukcevic has added a bit more creativity to their game with 1 assist in 2 outings. Icelandic international Andri Gudjohnsen is Blackburn's main threat with 2 goals in 3, but Todd Cantwell has also been busy with 2 goals in Rovers' last 5 games, where they have scored 6 in total.
