Bristol City vs Preston Prediction: Home side can secure play-offs

After 45 pulsating gameweeks, we have finally arrived at the final weekend of the regular Championship season. One of the finest sporting Saturdays of the year will grace our screens, with every game kicking off simultaneously at 12:30, shown live by Sky Sports.

Bristol City were hammered 4-0 by Leeds United on Monday night but are still in pole position to finish fifth, as they sit one point clear of the chasing pack. Meanwhile, Preston North End are sinking and sit just one point above the bottom three. Below you can find my Bristol City vs Preston predictions. 

Football Odds

Team News

Bristol City were without Cam Pring for the trip to Leeds through injury, as Haydon Roberts replaced him, while George Earthy played ahead of Anis Mehmeti. That was a move from Liam Manning to try and make them more robust, but clearly it didn’t work as Leeds ran riot, and the Robins were fortunate to get away with a 4-0 defeat. 

I don’t think there will be too much panic in the Bristol City ranks however, as most teams have received a beating at Elland Road this season. For this game, which the home side are expected to win, Manning should revert back to his more attacking line-up, with Mehmeti likely to come into the front three. Scott Twine is also an option behind the striker, with Nahki Wells likely to hold onto his place ahead of Sinclair Armstrong. 

Pring’s hamstring issue will see him miss this game as well, with Manning having to keep half an eye on a potential upcoming play-off campaign. Jason Knight has been City’s key player in 2024/25, and will captain the side from the heart of midfield. 

Preston gaffer Paul Heckingbottom seems to have lost his way and must be feeling the heat after four defeats on the spin. With Freddie Woodman out, David Cornell has come into the side and underperformed in goal, but obviously the slide hasn’t been all down to him. 

For this game I’d expect Ryan Ledson to come into midfield to provide some experience, and with a draw possibly enough to keep them up, Heckingbottom’s 3-5-2 may have a defensive look to it. Kaine Kesler-Hayden will play on the right, but Robbie Brady has been forced into a central role in recent weeks, with Andrew Hughes playing at left wing-back. 

Nothing is working right now for PNE so I won’t rule anything out, and with Emil Riis Jakobsen and Milutin Osmajic failing to perform up top, Ched Evans could be handed a rare start. 

Bristol City vs Preston Odds

Bristol City are the favourites to win this game, priced at 8/11 to do so, while Preston can be backed at 11/4. A draw is up at 11/4, while over 2.5 goals has come in during 44% of Bristol City matches and is 11/10. BTTS is 1/1 while Wells is the favourite to open the scoring at 9/2. 

Bristol City to win @ 8/11

Yeah, I’m more than happy to back the home side to get the win they need to secure a play-off spot. Bristol City couldn’t have picked a better fixture to end the season as Preston sit 23rd in the form table over the last 10 matches, having picked up just one win during that time. Only Norwich sit below them, but they have shown a slight improvement under Jack Wilshere, so Preston really are the worst team in the league right now. 

It feels as though they completely switched off after their FA Cup quarter-final with Aston Villa, thinking they were set for another mid-table season. But with the likes of Derby County and Luton Town picking up momentum, they have slipped back into danger. Now they sit just one point above the drop, having suffered a devastating 2-1 defeat at home to Plymouth last time out. 

I cannot see them getting anything at Ashton Gate, where the Robins have been so strong this term. They’ve picked up 45 points from 22 home matches so far, more than Sunderland and just three fewer than both Burnley and Sheffield United. Home win by all accounts.

Correct Score: Bristol City 2-1 Preston @ 7/1

I think we simply have to plump for a correct scoreline based on what we have seen in recent weeks. Bristol City have won their last four home games by two goals to one, and it’s a scoreline that has carried them into the top six. Meanwhile, Preston have lost their last four games by the same scoreline, while both teams have scored in their last six matches. 

We simply have to back this scoreline to come in once again, in this crucial encounter. It’s a big price for something that has come in so regularly.

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