Preston North End vs Derby County Predictions & Betting Tips, Match Previews

There was great optimism that Nigel Pearson could be the man to finally fire Derby into the Premier League. He may still do that of course but it has been far from the start he’d have wanted. Derby have scored just 1 goal in 3 matches this season so far and that came in the League Cup at home to League Two new-boys Luton Town. They drew 0-0 with Brighton on the opening day in the league and suffered a worrying 2-0 defeat at Barnsley at the weekend.

The side has changed little from last season when they made the play-offs so there should be plenty more to come from them but their lack of attacking threat so far is a concern and a sign that Pearson may need some more time to get this team playing the way he’d want them too.

They still have one more point than Preston though. It’s been a disappointing opening couple of games for the Lancashire club who lost 1-0 at Reading on the opening day and were beaten 2-1 at home by Fulham last time out. Their problems are much the same as Derby, in that they haven’t looked like creating many chances or scoring many goals. They’ve only bagged two so far this season and needed 90 minutes to break the deadlock against Hartlepool in the League Cup.

Everything about these teams so far this term suggests this should be a low scoring game. There’ll be an element of tension in both camps given how they’ve started so it could be an edgy kind of affair. There have been under 2.5 goals in 6 of Preston’s last 9 competitive games and 7 of Derby’s last 8.

Therefore backing there to be Under 2.5 Goals at 4/6 looks a pretty safe bet here.