Stoke City vs Preston Predictions

• Both teams have not scored in six of the last eight Stoke City home Championship games.
• Both teams have not scored in seven of the last eight Stoke City Championship games.
• Both teams have not scored in six of the last ten Preston away Championship games.
• Preston have kept clean sheets in four of the last six meetings, including the last three away trips to Stoke.

Both sides could fire blanks in Potteries

Stoke have lost ground in the Championship promotion race of late because they aren’t scoring enough goals and it’s hard to see how that will change when they take on a resolute Preston side on Monday.

Potters boss Michael O’Neill was critical of his side’s performance in their home defeat to Derby last time out, adding that he hoped their lack of game time had been a contributing factor to an insipid attacking display that created an xG of just 0.43.

Stoke have now lost three of their last five matches in the Championship and returned just seven goals from their last eight outings, making the odds of just above Evens on the hosts here about as appealing as week-old sprouts from the back of the fridge.

Hosts hoping to catch PNE cold

The Potters will hope to catch Preston cold as Ryan Lowe’s side haven’t been in competitive action in almost three and a half weeks. North End won their first – and only – game under Lowe when they defeated relegation-haunted Barnsley 2-1 at Deepdale and their away form prior to that is good enough to suggest they might not lose at the bet365 Stadium.

But a safer play on a team coming back from such a long competitive break is for PNE to misfire in attack. The visitors have failed to score in six of their last ten away games and that, coupled with Stoke’s recent struggles in front of goal, makes our mind up for the main selection here.

Delving into the recent history between these clubs reveals that Preston haven’t conceded in their past three visits to the Potteries, so we will try our luck by picking a repeat of the 0-0 from last season’s corresponding league fixture in correct score betting.