Form tells a clear story at Deepdale
Preston North End head into the New Year fixture at Deepdale with the psychological edge. Sitting seventh in the Championship table after 24 matches, Preston have been that steady, hard-to-beat side — nine wins and ten draws underline a team built to avoid slipping rather than explode into form. Their recent results carry the hallmark of resilience: a close 2-1 reverse at Wrexham on December 29, sandwiched between stalemates and the odd away victory, including a 2-1 win at Oxford United earlier in the month. That pattern — two wins, six draws and two losses in their last ten — speaks of a side that grinds out points, and on home turf they’ve produced 16 goals while conceding 12, numbers that read well against a fragile opponent.
Sheffield Wednesday’s slide and defensive cracks
By contrast, Sheffield Wednesday arrive in Preston mired at the foot of the table. Twenty-third/24th in the standings with just one win in 23 matches, a paltry 18 goals scored and a worrying 45 conceded, Wednesday’s season has been one long defensive headache. Their recent patch shows a mixture of draws and defeats: a goalless stalemate with Blackburn was the latest respite, but that mask of solidity looks thin when weighed against a run that includes a 3-0 reverse to Derby and a heavy 3-1 loss at Ipswich. Clean sheets are rare for Wednesday — only three so far — and their away goals record does little to inspire confidence.
Match dynamics and goal expectations
Head-to-head context adds seasoning: the two sides met in late November in a five-goal thriller that finished 3-2 to Preston, indicating both teams can be porous and, when the game opens up, capable of producing chances. Statistical tendencies back up the notion of goals: Preston’s matches have produced over 2.5 goals in around 42% of cases this season, while Wednesday’s contests have cleared that line nearly 61% of the time. Both teams scoring has been a 50/58-percent phenomenon across home and away splits — not a guarantee, but a nudge toward expecting at least a couple of finishes on the scoresheet.
The bookmakers make no secret of the expected outcome: the market heavily favors the hosts, with Preston trading around 1.53 for the win while a Sheffield Wednesday victory is priced near 6.50. That gap reflects form, table position and defensive frailty on the visitors’ side.
If you want to sharpen your approach to market selection, read our piece on Soccer betting tips and the choice of markets, and for timing your stakes around goals, check The right time to place bets on goal markets. If you’re managing a bankroll, it’s also worth considering the lessons in The risks of trying a bankroll leveraging in a quick way before stretching your stakes.
Betting suggestion: 1X2 market — back Preston North End to win. The home advantage, superior form, recent 3-2 H2H victory and Sheffield Wednesday’s leaky defence make the home win the most value-driven single-market pick for this fixture.
