Blackburn vs Preston predictions: Both teams to play their part in Lancashire derby
Joe Casey
Both teams have scored in seven of the last eight head-to-heads
Blackburn have just one clean sheet in their last nine league games
Recommended bet: Both teams to score
Michael O'Neill was brought in as Blackburn manager last week with the task of steering the side away from the Championship relegation zone and he made the ideal start, winning 3-1 away at QPR.
A tough test faces the Northern Irishman in his second match at the helm, as Rovers welcome local rivals Preston to Ewood Park, with Paul Heckingbottom’s visitors firmly in the mix for the play-offs.
The latest Blackburn vs Preston odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Blackburn will be without Todd Cantwell for this game as he recovers from a foot injury, joining Augustus Kargbo and Scott Wharton in the treatment room.
Sondre Tronstad is expected to shake off a knock picked up in the win over QPR to feature.
For Preston, Robbie Brady and Daniel Iversen are expected to miss out once again, while Callum Lang and Liam Lindsay face late fitness tests to see if they are able to feature.
The stats
Blackburn have struggled badly since the middle of November, winning only three of their last 18 games in all competitions.
Preston were on a four-game losing streak before holding title contenders Ipswich to a draw at the end of last month and have followed that with a win over Portsmouth and a draw with Watford.
Both teams have scored in 12 of Preston's last 20 games.
Three of the last five head-to-heads between these two teams have finished with a 2-1 scoreline.
The latest Blackburn vs Preston odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Blackburn are odds-on to get the better of rivals Preston when the two meet at Ewood Park on Friday, but considering Rovers' terrible recent form, particularly at home, that price is well worth swerving.
North End are also a difficult team to trust at the moment, but, while the result may be tough to call, goals should be on the cards at both ends.
This is expected to be a full-blooded derby and there have been question marks about both defences recently, with Blackburn keeping just one clean sheet in their last nine league games and Preston shipping 10 goals in their last five outings.
Seven of the last eight head-to-heads have seen both teams score and it looks likely that a repeat of that will occur in this clash.
