- Preston North End are priced at 6/5 favourites to beat Huddersfield Town, who are available at 2/1, with the draw coming in at 51/20.
- Preston have won the last 2 head-to-head meetings, winning the most recent in the 2023/2024 Championship season by a 4-1 scoreline.
A match of identity
Preston North End are the market leaders for this game, which is probably about right, given they should have more of the ball and have the edge in the head-to-head. However, Paul Heckingbottom's side are also wobbling a little at the moment so this shouldn't be an absolute banker for the hosts at 6/5.
PNE have won one and lost four of their last five games, a run which includes four straight defeats. The last three results have been a 0-1 home loss to Cambridge United, a 3-2 away defeat to Bradford City and a 1-0 away loss to Stockport County.
This should be an exciting EFL Cup tie and the odds of 7/10 for over 2.5 goals and both teams to score both match the feel of the game and the BTTS Yes market is also a 57/100. Martin Drury is having Huddersfield press higher up the pitch and play a more proactive game, while Heckingbottom is set up from a three-at-the-back base and looks to be compact without the ball and direct in transition.
The wing-back battle and how each side copes with the transitions will be pivotal to this game, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see a few trading blows in the half-spaces, as both back-threes will look to get forward when possible. Huddersfield are a high-energy side and Preston are a control side, which should make for an intriguing affair.
A mixed bag of form
Huddersfield's form is mixed and they're likely to get a result away but not without leaving a few behind. The Terriers' last three games have been a 3-1 loss at Birmingham City, a 3-1 loss away at Sheffield United and a 1-1 draw at home to Blackburn Rovers.
Across all competitions, Huddersfield have won two, drawn five and lost three of their last ten games, which tells you all you need to know about the gritty nature of the Terriers and their propensity to grind out results.
Preston have won two of their last three home H2Hs but they're on a four-game losing streak across all comps (W0, D0, L4), so I think backing Huddersfield for the double chance is the savvy play. A one-goal win for the home side would be a good result, but I think the value is more in a tight, high-tempo game.
