Preston and Swansea are set to do battle at Deepdale on Tuesday night, with both teams looking to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone. The home side, who are 15th in the table, head into the game in high spirits, having put together a remarkable 12-game unbeaten run at home. Swansea, who sit just one place lower, need to put an end to their away goal drought, having recorded blanks in eight of 17 away games so far this campaign.
Recent form suggests that it will be a close game, but with Preston carrying a slight edge, having won two of their last five. The attacking force for Preston is Emil Riis, with nine goals this season. Swansea will hope their top scorer, Liam Cullen, can do the business for them and improve on this tally of 10 goals. The disparity between Preston's 1.13 home goals per game average and Swansea's return of 0.88 away from home could be the deciding factor when all is said and done.
Historic head-to-head data between these two make for interesting reading. While Swansea have recorded 12 wins from the last 20 games between these two sides, including a dominant 3-0 win in their last meeting earlier this season, Preston's home form against the Welsh team is relatively solid. The Lancashire side have won five of their last nine games against the Swans when playing in front of their own fans, with the visitors having last won at Deepdale back in 2020.
While both sides are quite comfortably clear of the relegation zone, that could change very quickly, and thus, the pressure is on. Preston's impressive home form this term (6-9-2) has provided them with a solid foundation, while Swansea will need to end their goal drought on the road to climb up the table. The tactical battle between the two coaches should be intriguing, with both sets of players aware that a victory could provide them with a much-needed injection of confidence heading into the business end of the season.
Preston North End - Swansea City Key Facts
Preston have shown strong home form, with an unbeaten streak in their last 12 matches at Deepdale. This will give their fans and anyone looking to bet on them great confidence that they can take all three points here.
Historically, PNE have been dominant in their last 9 home matches against Swansea City, having won 5 times. This indicates that they have a strong advantage over tonight's opponents when playing at Deepdale.
Swansea City have had problems away from home this season, failing to score in 8 of their 17 away fixtures. That would suggest that they may find it difficult to break through Preston's rearguard.
Betting Predictions
Primary Bet: Over 2.5 goals @ 13/10
Championship meetings between these two have been rather high-scoring, with the two teams averaging an astounding 3.2 goals a game against each other. Preston's home scoring total of 1.13 goals per game and Swansea's away average of 0.88 overall this season are a worry for anyone looking to back the over goals market, but they seem to bring the best out of each other in front of goal, as the historical data suggests. The scoring trend has remained consistent, with the last five games maintaining the 3.2 goals per game average. Based on this, the over 2.5 goals bet at 13/10 looks to be a safe one at Deepdale.
Secondary Bet: Preston to win @ 27/20
Preston have made their ground a fortress, where they are 12 games unbeaten, making their victory price of 27/20 all the more appealing to punters. The hosts have demonstrated that they can convert leads into victories, with an 80% record for home wins when they score first. Their dominance over Swansea at Deepdale is equally impressive, having won five of their previous nine home meetings. While Swansea have the luxury of history behind them with 12 wins from 20 encounters, their away performances this season are a cause for concern after scoring an aggregate of zero in eight away matches so far this term.
Editorial Pick: Emil Riis to score anytime @ 11/4
Denmark Under-21 international Emil Riis Jakobsen is on course to smash his previous season goal record for PNE. His 9 goals so far have been crucial in keeping them away from a relegation battle. If they are to score in this one, Riis will surely play a role.
