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Watford - Preston
England Championship - Vicarage Road
Prediction 1
Draw
5/2 (3.50)
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Odds from
Prediction 2
Under 2.5 goals
3/5 (1.60)
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Odds from
* Betting odds were correct at the time of publication but are subject to change.
Here we bring you Championship predictions for Watford vs Preston with the game due to take place on Saturday March 4th.
Watford vs Preston prediction and top betting tips
Watford are very much in the hunt for the playoff places but they'll want to bounce back quickly from defeat last time out to ensure they remain in touch. Can they do that here as they entertain Preston? Find out with our Watford vs Preston match preview with free tips, predictions and odds mentioned along the way.
Contents
Watford vs Preston Prediction 1: Draw
The bookmakers fancy Watford to win this game but that's not how we see it playing out as we bring you a draw prediction. Watford have only won one of their last five games with three of those five games ending in draws. Preston have a similar record across their last five with, again, just the one win and three draws. That gives both sides a recent form heavily leaning towards sitting on the fence whilst the head to head record does little to split them either; the last five games have seen both teams win two games with the fifth game ending level.
Watford vs Preston Prediction 2: Under 2.5 goals
The second of our football betting tips for this game comes from the total goals market. We are betting on an under 2.5 goals prediction. Watford have seen three of their last four games come in under the 2.5 goal cut off with a total of 10 goals seen, which leaves their game average sat bang on the 2.5 mark. Preston meanwhile have also seen three of their last four games go south of the 2.5 mark but with a notably lower game average of 1.3 goals.
Here are the key stats & form guide for Watford vs Preston
Head to Head
20/08/22
England Championship CHA
Preston
Watford
0
0
16/02/21
England Championship CHA
Preston
Watford
0
1
28/11/20
England Championship CHA
Watford
Preston
4
1
25/08/15
England EFL Cup EFL Cup
Preston
Watford
1
0
Last Five - Watford
25/11/23
England Championship CHA
Leicester
Watford
2
0
L
11/11/23
England Championship CHA
Rotherham
Watford
0
5
W
04/11/23
England Championship CHA
Huddersfield
Watford
0
0
D
28/10/23
England Championship CHA
Millwall
Watford
2
2
D
24/10/23
England Championship CHA
Swansea
Watford
0
1
W
Last Five - Preston
25/11/23
England Championship CHA
Cardiff
Preston
2
1
L
10/11/23
England Championship CHA
Blackburn
Preston
1
2
W
04/11/23
England Championship CHA
Coventry
Preston
2
3
W
28/10/23
England Championship CHA
Hull
Preston
1
0
L
25/10/23
England Championship CHA
Southampton
Preston
2
2
D
So, that gives you some insight to how the different bookmakers see the action unfolding. How though do the Watford vs Preston odds translate into probability ahead of this game? Let's find out.
Watford odds: 17/20 (3.20) – 31%
Draw odds: 5/2 (3.50) – 29%
Preston odds: 7/2 (2.20) – 46%
Watford come into this game as odds on favourites to win the game, however, as you might have guessed from our tips above, there is a thought process that could see plenty of money arrive for a couple of different bets. The draw looks like reasonable value given Preston are a tough nut to crack whilst the double chance market is another that could tempt a few punters who are more risk averse.
Check out the predicted lineups ahead of Watford vs Preston
Watford
Watford are suffering from quite an extensive injury list right now with no fewer than seven first team players confined to the treatment table with Hassane Kamara probably the most notable name. A few of those players have expected returns dates in March but not in time for this game. With that in mind, we're not likely to see any major changes to the XI that faced Sheffield United last time out although Britt Assombalonga is one player that might come into the team.
Predicted lineup – Bachmann, Morris, Hoedt, Cathcart, Gaspar, Louza, Choudhury, Pedro, Sarr, Sema, Assombalonga
Preston
Preston have put together a four game unbeaten run so, whilst they haven't won many of those four, they will feel like they're close to getting things spot on. Changes to the starting XI are expected but, most likely, through some rotation in more attacking areas of the field with Ben Woodburn and Troy Parrott in contention to get the nod at the sharp end of the pitch.
Predicted lineup – Woodman, Storey, Diaby, Lindsay, Potts, Browne, Ledson, Fernandez, Johnson, Evans, Woodburn
Watford vs Preston Line ups
Watford
Preston
*Starting lineups are usually announced one hour prior to kick off.
Player to watch
Watford's biggest weapons definitely live in those roles that operate just behind the striker and we're specifically picking out Ken Sema. He's bagged two goals and provided an assist in his last three games and will be keen to impress again here after his team drew a blank last time out. The Preston full backs will know they've been up against it come full time – regardless of how the game ends.
Take a look at the latest standings
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | +/- | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Leicester | 17 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 42 |
| 2 |  Ipswich | 17 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 39 |
| 3 |  Leeds | 17 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 32 |
| 4 |  Southampton | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 31 |
| 5 |  West Brom | 17 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 29 |
| 6 | Preston | 17 | 8 | 4 | 5 | -2 | 28 |
| 7 |  Cardiff | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 27 |
| 8 |  Hull | 17 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 27 |
| 9 |  Sunderland | 17 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 26 |
| 10 |  Blackburn | 17 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 25 |
| 11 |  Bristol City | 17 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 25 |
| 12 |  Middlesbrough | 17 | 7 | 3 | 7 | -1 | 24 |
| 13 |  Norwich | 17 | 7 | 2 | 8 | -2 | 23 |
| 14 |  Birmingham | 17 | 6 | 4 | 7 | -2 | 22 |
| 15 | Watford | 17 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 21 |
| 16 |  Stoke | 17 | 6 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 21 |
| 17 |  Swansea | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 20 |
| 18 |  Millwall | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | -3 | 20 |
| 19 |  Plymouth | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 19 |
| 20 |  Coventry | 17 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 19 |
| 21 |  Huddersfield | 17 | 3 | 7 | 7 | -14 | 16 |
| 22 |  Rotherham | 17 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -17 | 12 |
| 23 |  QPR | 17 | 2 | 4 | 11 | -17 | 10 |
| 24 |  Sheff Wed | 17 | 1 | 3 | 13 | -21 | 6 |
A quickfire FAQ on Watford – Preston
- Where is the match being played? – Vicarage Road
- Who do the bookmakers have as favourites? – Watford
- What time does the match kick off? 3 PM GMT
