Luton vs Preston Predictions

• Preston have lost 4 of their last 5 games.
• The visitors have claimed just 30% of their league points away from home this term.
• Luton have won 2 of their last 3 at home.
• Preston have failed to score in 44% of their trips.

Time is Now for Luton

Luton continued their game of musical Jones during the break. Manager Nathan Jones returned to the Hatters after leaving for Stoke over a year ago. He succeeded Graeme Jones, who took up the hot seat from Nathan while the club were in League One.

While Luton push for survival, Preston are trying to hold on to the final playoff spot. All the pre-restart speculation is over who could sneak into sixth, so Preston are up against it. Could they take a step towards the playoffs by starting with a win?

Preston Wasting Chance

Preston are one of the sides with an easier return in prospect, but they were in awful shape when this game was due to be played. The visitors have lost four of their last five matches in the league, including each of their last three outings. A 3-1 home loss to QPR was a real blow for a side who have relied on home form.

Preston have picked up just 30% of their points this season on their travels, with eight away defeats to their name. That’s really holding them back in the top-six chase. They are incredibly limited on their travels, scoring only 15 goals in 18 matches and converting just 7% of their chances.

Luton’s Chance

Preston’s problems on the road could be compounded here as Luton look for that fabled new manager bounce. Their home results will be key, as three of the five are against bottom-half teams. On top of that, they meet a Preston side who are 15th in the away results standings.

The Hatters also have a home record to build upon here. Luton have lost only once in their last six Championship matches (W3 D2), while they are unbeaten in three at Kenilworth Road (W2 D1). The hosts have a great scoring record at home, finding the net in 83% of their games. This Preston side have lost to nil in 39% of their away games. That should help the hosts seal it, so our first prediction is a Luton victory.

Preston’s last away league win at Luton came back in November 1999, winning 2-0 with two goals from David Eyres. We’re backing a reverse of that scoreline here, with Preston looking a little short on goals when it comes to their away games this term. They’ve failed to score in 44% of trips away from Deepdale, so a 2-0 home win is our correct score prediction.