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Preston v Leeds
Kick Off: Saturday 14th December at 12:30
Competition: Championship
Watch Live: Sky Sports Main Event
Former 1st Division and FA Cup winners Preston North End and Leeds United square off in this Saturday lunchtime Championship fixture.
Both outfits enter this contest off the back of winning their respective midweek league matches. Each triumphed by a two-goal margin, but Leeds hold a slight advantage, having played at home on Tuesday, whereas Preston had a long away trip to Cardiff 24 hours later.
If last season is anything to go by, then 2-1 could well be the final score. Leeds won the last head-to-head meeting at home in January by this scoreline. However, a month earlier on Boxing Day, it was North End that claimed the spoils, again by this result, the last time both faced one another at Deepdale.
Preston v Leeds Best Bets
There are times when Daniel James looks far too good to play in the Championship and warrants a spot in the Premier League. He may well achieve that next season with Leeds. Generally, if he plays well, then so do Leeds as a collective. Despite intense competition in the winger department, he is a permanent fixture in the team at present, such is his recent form.
The Welsh international is particularly threatening in away fixtures given the pace he possesses. At home, teams will often pack bodies behind the ball, but on the road, he is afforded extra space. It has been an injury-hit campaign for him, however, he is now showcasing his best.
Over James’ last 8 club appearances, he has recorded 3 goals and 2 assists. In this time, the former Manchester United man has averaged 2.50 shots, so he is certainly not afraid to have a go on goal.
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Preston v Leeds Predicted XI
Predicted XI Pending…
Preston v Leeds Players to Watch
Ali McCann
The Northern Irishman has become a big favourite of Paul Heckingbottom since his appointment as manager earlier in the season. McCann offers box-to-box qualities that make him an asset, even more so when facing stronger opponents such as Leeds. He has a job to do off the ball, however, in possession he has proved to be a more than tidy player.
Heckingbottom likes his teams to get the ball down, so McCann should see plenty of the ball and often show to receive it on a regular basis. He is on a 9-game run of being fouled at least once. Also, he has fouled in all but 1 of his league starts this season, so this is someone who often finds himself in the thick of the action. He has already amassed 7 yellow cards, which could be another potential betting angle.
Brenden Aaronson
Another player that is definitely a favourite of their manager is Leeds’ Brenden Aaronson. The USA international has barely missed a kick this season, and for good reason. Daniel Farke loves the energy that the attacking midfielder offers, plus he is good for chipping in with a goal, too.
Only 2 other players in the side have had more league shots on target compared to Aaronson. The 24-year-old has recorded at least 1 shot on target in 3 of his last 4 appearances, during which he has averaged 2.25 shots per match. He finds pockets of space that make him difficult for the opposition to mark and detect.
Preston v Leeds Cheat Sheet
Saturday plays host to plenty more EFL action and our expert Football Betting Predictions will be diving into all the action. Make sure to check out our EFL Betting Tips along with our EFL Accumulator Tips so you don’t miss any of our coverage.
We have Both Teams to Score Tips, along with player prop market predictions to fold into bet builders, like our Player Shots on Target Tips, Fouls Betting Tips, and Anytime Goalscorer Tips from the Premier League.
We’ve also got Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa Betting Tips, plus a 100/1 Mega Accumulator and plenty more Premier League Bet Builder Tips for all of the best action in the top flight.
Be sure to check out our Bet Builder Stats tool too, the best freely available data source for punting on football, plus our collection of the best Premier League Free Bet Offers.
Preston v Leeds Form and Tactics
Preston finally ended their 10-match winless streak in all competitions when claiming a much-needed 3 points away to Cardiff on Wednesday night. This was the first time since the 3-3 draw at Plymouth on October 26th that they’d netted at least 2 goals in a match. They now go in search of back-to-back league wins for the first time since March.
The Lilywhites are winless in any of their previous 7 home encounters in all competitions. It is the first time since September 2022 that Preston have gone that long without a Deepdale victory. Over the campaign, Paul Heckingbottom’s side have a 46.15% clean sheet ratio in all home fixtures and have scored in 9 of 13 at Deepdale.
Leeds have recorded back-to-back victories in their last 2 games, both at home. They possess the best home record in the Championship, so the best time to catch them out is on the road. The Whites have failed to win in 66.67% of their away league battles this season, winning 1 of their previous 6, including two recent 1-0 defeats.
Goals aren’t necessarily to be expected in Leeds’ away matches considering 7 of 9 have contained under 2.5 goals. They’ve conceded less than a goal a game on average (1.13), plus 6 have failed to see both teams score.
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Preston v Leeds Ref Watch
- Referee: John Busby
- He has already officiated 14 matches in 2024; 13 in the Championship and 1 in the EFL Cup. Over these, he has averaged 3.71 cards per game and also issued a total of 3 penalties.
- This will be only the 2nd Leeds match Busby has officiated across his career. The 1 and only time came last October as United defeated Norwich 3-2 on the day. On that occasion, this official awarded Leeds 3 yellow cards.
- Busby will command a Preston contest for the 11th time on Saturday. North End have only been on the losing side in two of those. The referee did hand out an average of 1.60 cards to Preston over these battles.
- In the most recent, last month, Busby awarded a penalty against Heckingbottom’s men.
Football Predictions at Andy’s Bet Club
Our guide on How to Use a Cheat Sheet is the perfect way to get involved with our Bet Builder Stats tool, the best freely available data source for punting on the Premier League.
We recommend the Best Betting Sites for Accumulators, Top Bet Builder Sites, and the best Free Bet Offers and Weekly Free Bet Clubs, all to ensure you bet smarter when backing our tips with the Best UK Sports Betting Sites.
Expert guides, such as this one, on xG in Football, are also available to help you up your punting game.
* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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