Preston v Middlesbrough

Preston vs Middlesbrough Preview

Preston NE registered an impressive 2-1 win away from home at Watford in the Championship during the week and The Lilywhites will return to their Deepdale ground for Saturday afternoon's clash with high-flying Middlesbrough, in confident mood although the hosts still remain in the lower half of the Championship table.

Middlesbrough bounced back from their unexpected 2-1 loss away from home at lowly Portsmouth in the midweek action in the Championship as Boro registered a solid 2-0 home win against West Brom which has kept the north-east club in contention for a possible place in the play-offs.

Preston NE occupy 16th place in the Championship table but the Lancashire hosts find themselves exactly eight points below the play-off pack but also eight points above the relegation zone in the English second tier prior to this weekend's action.

Despite their position in the lower half of the table, Preston NE have made themselves a tough side to beat both home and away as Paul Heckingbottom's side have been handed just two defeats in their last 13 matches overall, which came in the shape of losses to QPR and West Brom, both of which were away from home.

Results on home soil at Deepdale have also been solid if not a little stubborn as Preston NE have lost just twice at home this season and they bring a seven-game unbeaten run at home into Saturday's clash that includes only two wins.

Middlesbrough helped cement their place in the top six of the Championship thanks to their midweek home win against fellow play-off hopefuls, West Brom, and Michael Carrick's side now occupy fifth place in the table where the visitors will be looking to stay come the end of the regular season.

With a significant 14-point margin between themselves and second placed Sheffield United, Middlesbrough know they will have to make do with a place in the play-offs this season all being well, and having suffered just the single defeat within their last eight matches overall, Boro look in good shape to record a positive result at Deepdale on Saturday.

Victories gained at the expense of Millwall 1-0, Hull City 1-0 and West Brom 2-0 also underline Middlesbrough's solid defensive unit and this could prove to be one of the catalysts behind an away win here for the north-east club.

Indeed, four clean sheets within these previous eight games suggest Middlesbrough will also be a tough nut to crack at Deepdale on Saturday afternoon.

Preston NE v Middlesbrough Verdict

Middlesbrough have won two out of the last four meetings against Preston NE and although their hosts have been tough to beat, the likes of striker Latte Lath (11 goals) and Finn Azaz (8 goals) could prove to be the difference here.

Therefore, our main bet will be Middlesbrough win @ 2.25

Other side bets worth considering:

Middlesbrough win & Under 5 goals @ 2.50 Correct Score: Middlesbrough 1-0 @ 7.50