Burnley vs Blackpool Predictions

• Fewer than three goals have been scored in all four of Burnley’s Championship matches this season.
• Fewer than three goals have been scored in all five of Blackpool’s competitive gams this term.
• Burnley’s last two home Championship matches have finished 1-1.

Tangerines and Clarets unlikely to serve up a treat 

Burnley host Blackpool in the league for the first time since 2014 but don’t expect these two Lancashire rivals to serve up a hot pot of goalmouth action on Saturday. The Clarets have been slow and intricate in their build-up play under Vincent Kompany and appear to lack a bit of punch up front, which won’t frighten a disciplined Blackpool side who will be quite happy to put bodies behind the ball.

Burnley have gone from being percentage ball merchants to pass masters in a matter of weeks, but sometimes there has been a lack of end product. Kompany’s team have taken the fourth-most shots in the Championship at the time of writing, but their on target rate of just over 30% puts them in the division’s bottom seven.

The statistic that really counts though is that the Clarets have scored just three goals in their four games so far this term and never more than once in the same game. Blackpool’s rate of less than 30% on target is worse than Burnley’s and they are in the bottom four for goals per shots on target.

Blackpool won’t fold if Burnley break deadlock

And, just like their hosts at Turf Moor this weekend, all of their competitive games this season have fallen below the 2.5 goals mark. Michael Appleton’s side rode their luck at times to hang on to a 1-0 win over QPR in midweek and may not be good enough to make it six points from six in their extended road trip, but they won’t fold if they go 1-0 down.

Burnley could win this if they get the first goal and control possession from there – as they did against Huddersfield on the opening night of the season. But given their two home league games this season have both finished one apiece, the correct score forecast that looks best right now is 1-1. Three of their last six competitive games have ended that way.