Derby vs Preston Predictions

• Preston have been beaten only once in five Championship fixtures so far this term.
• Derby have won only once in five attempts in the second tier since the summer.
• Four of Derby’s five league games this season have featured goals at both ends.

Preston can maintain their impressive start

Derby will kick off Saturday’s encounter with Preston as market favourites, however, opposing County at Pride Park could be a better route to profit.

Visitors Preston have impressed since the summer and have already beaten two newly-relegated outfits in Leicester (2-1) and Ipswich (1-0) in the campaign’s early throes, and last weekend they held their own against early Championship leaders Middlesbrough in a pulsating 2-2 draw.

Preston have lost only once in five Championship assignments overall while conceding just 1.0 goal per game on average and though all of their best work so far has been done at Deepdale, North End are backed to avoid defeat on the road at struggling Derby.

County finally broke their duck with a win at WBA last time out, however, their 1-0 victory was the very definition of smash and grab, with Derby scoring their winner from their only shot on target at The Hawthorns.

Derby failed to win any of their first four Championship fixtures before that, conceding at least twice in each outing, while the Rams rank bottom of the division for expected goals (4.00).

Preston have defended solidly this season with Jordan Storey, Lewis Gibson and Andrew Hughes excelling in John Eustace’s back-three system, and North End can frustrate Derby here.

With County struggling for wins and form, Preston are the value pick in the double chance market on Saturday, though North End’s away-day niggles call for some caution in the correct score market.

Preston scored just once in their two away tests at QPR (1-1) and Barrow (1-0) in the Championship and Carabao Cup in August, though they were beaten 1-0 on their most recent trip to Portsmouth, so backing a 1-1 draw in the correct score stakes might be the safest option.