Preston North End Championship Odds: Relegation looks likely for the Lilywhites

Preston North End narrowly avoided relegation from the Championship last season as they finished 20th, one point above the bottom three, and they will be hoping for improvement in 2025/26.

Paul Heckingbottom was in charge for all but one of their matches last term and he has work to do this summer to ensure Preston are not in a similar situation this time around. Below I deliver my predictions for their season using the Preston North End Championship Odds.

For a few years now it has felt like Preston have been stagnating. There were a couple of seasons where they looked like they were knocking on the door of the play-offs but most of the time they were just a comfortable mid-table side - and it seems they got too comfortable.

A lot of teams in the second tier are now investing to try and get themselves into the promotion picture but we very rarely see this from Preston, whose summer business this season is mostly filled with free transfers.

The Lilywhites will want to forget last year's poor campaign, in which they almost sleepwalked their way to relegation. With some strong teams coming up from League 1 this year, survival looks like it will be a tougher task for Preston than usual, and if they aren't careful, their 11-year spell in the Championship may come to an end.

Championship Odds

Transfer Business:

In: Odeluga Offiah (undisclosed, Brighton & Hove Albion), Daniel Iversen (free, Leicester City), Jordan Thompson (free, Stoke City), Thierry Small (free, Charlton Athletic), Andrija Vukcevic (free, FC Juarez), Pol Valentin (free, Sheffield Wednesday), Michael Smith (free, Sheffield Wednesday), Jack Walton (undisclosed, Luton Town) and Daniel Jebbison (loan, AFC Bournemouth).

Out: Emil Riis Jakobsen (free, Bristol City), Freddie Woodman (free, Liverpool), Ryan Ledson (free, Huddersfield Town), Kian Best (free, Chelsea), Kian Taylor (free, Greenock Morton), Ched Evans (free, Fleetwood Town), Jack Whatmough (undisclosed, Huddersfield Town), Layton Stewart (loan, FC Thun), Kaedyn Kamara (loan, Cork City) and Patrick Bauer (released).

There has been a lot of turnover at Deepdale this summer and Preston have covered their losses rather than strengthen their squad. Odeluga Offiah, Daniel Iversen and Thierry Small are the most interesting signings of the bunch but they will need more quality in depth if they are to build on last year's 20th-place finish.

Offiah had a decent loan spell at Blackpool in League 1 last term so it will be interesting to see how he fares at a higher level. Small was one of the notable players at Charlton and it was a bonus that he can cover both left-back and the left wing.

It was surprising to see him leave the Addicks for Preston as they are both in the same division and I feel as though Charlton have a better chance of survival.

They have lost Emil Riis Jakobsen, a player who bagged 12 goals in the league last time out, which amounted to 25% of the Lilywhites' 48-goal total. His goals will be tough to replace, and when we are already expecting Heckingbottom's side to struggle, losing their main source of goals - on a free - is not a good sign.

Key Player: Milutin Osmajic

If he can refrain from biting people and getting himself suspended, Milutin Osmajic will be integral to Preston's survival hopes. The forward will carry the majority of the goal burden following Jakobsen's departure, but the Montenegro international scored nine goals himself in the Championship last term.

He bagged eight the season before, so perhaps we can see an increase again in 2025/26? It's all good saying he can step up and deliver in front of goal but it will be vital that he receives service. Due to his aggressive and physical nature, though, he can very much lead from the front and in the fight Preston look set for, he will be crucial.

Prediction: 23rd

As you can guess from throughout this preview, I've struggled to be positive about Preston. As seasons come and go, they seem content on just being the same (the board that is), while the fans are rightfully bored and wanting their club to show some ambition.

They scraped their way to safety last term but I'm not sure they will be so lucky this time. You have three strong teams coming up from League 1, with Birmingham City and Wrexham both hoping to be in the promotion picture at the first time of asking, while Charlton are arriving with an astute manager in Nathan Jones.

Football Odds

It looks to be a very tough Championship at both ends of the table and usually teams are relying on the promoted sides to be the weakest of the bunch. It wasn't the case last year as all three teams that came up maintained their second-tier status and I can envisage this happening again this season - most likely at Preston's expense.

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