Coventry vs Preston North End Prediction: Sky Blues to continue sparkling form

Coventry City have made huge ground on the top six over the last month, as they have now won six of their last seven league games under Frank Lampard. Next up they host Preston North End at the CBS Area (Saturday, 15:00) looking to gatecrash the top six after a remarkable run of form. 

PNE are unbeaten in their last four in all competitions and will be hoping to put the brakes on the Sky Blues’ rise. Below you can find my Coventry vs Preston North End predictions featuring team news and more. 

Team News

Lampard confirmed in his press conference that Haji Wright and Ben Sheaf will be back in contention either this week, or next weekend against Oxford. Wright hasn’t played since November, while Sheaf is likely to make the bench against Preston in a boost to the midfield options. 

Ephron Mason-Clark could be in line for his first start since returning from injury having made a couple of appearances off the bench. That could give Lampard the flexibility to change formation to a 4-3-3 or a 5-4-1, with the latter being the more likely option given Coventry’s good form has coincided with a switch to a back three. 

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto could start on the right, with Ellis Simms set to lead the line after his brace against Sheffield Wednesday last time out. He’s in good form, while Matt Grimes will play in midfield, with Jack Rudoni, Victor Torp, Josh Eccles and Jamie Allen all vying for a starting spot alongside him. Jake Bidwell could return in place of Jay DaSilva at left wing-back. 

Preston brought Milutin Osmajic off the bench at half-time in midweek and he could be brought back into the starting XI as he waits to find out if the FA will punish him after the incident against Burnley last weekend. Robbie Brady played half an hour off the bench in that one, and I’d expect him to start this one now he has got his match fitness back.

He will start on the left of the 3-5-2 or 4-2-3-1 system Paul Heckingbottom is likely to deploy, and he will be back on the touchline having served his two-match ban. PNE will hope Liam Lindsay and Lewis Gibson can keep a vital clean sheet at the back as they look to frustrate Coventry again. 

Coventry vs Preston North End Odds

Coventry are priced at 8/11 to win this game having won eight of their 16 home fixtures to date, giving them an implied win probability of 57%. Preston can be backed at 18/5 which may be worth considering given their imperious record against Coventry, but more on that later. A draw is 11/4. 

Over 2.5 goals is 11/10 and has come in during 52% of Coventry’s matches this season, giving them the fifth-highest success rate in the league. BTTS is 1/1 while Simms is the favourite to score first at 9/2.

Draw @ 11/4

Now I’m a pessimistic Coventry fan, but I do understand why the Sky Blues are favourites to win this game. They’ve been on an astonishing run and should contest the play-off places towards the end of the campaign, but they are facing their biggest bogey team here. 

I can’t shake off their shocking record against Preston. They haven’t beaten them in the league since 2007 - a run that stretches back for 22 matches in total. There is just something that happens when the Sky Blues face PNE - they turn to jelly. Now Preston are in decent form having drawn their last two fixtures as well, while Coventry have needed injury-time winners to beat both QPR and Sheffield Wednesday in their last two matches. 

Their overall performance level wasn’t quite there against Wednesday, and I think they may have to settle for a draw against this stubborn Preston outfit. I believe there is really good value in backing a draw at the CBS on Saturday. 

Ephron Mason-Clark to score @ 11/4

Having picked up 20 minutes or so off the bench in the last two fixtures, I’m now expecting Lampard to unleash former Peterborough man Mason-Clark against Preston. He looks like a different animal now playing on the left wing and let’s not forget, before his injury he was named the Championship’s Player of the Month in December. 

He produced four goals in Lampard’s first six games in charge and I can see him getting back to that level of form again. He is a dangerous runner, but he also allows Coventry to get up the pitch knowing he can be trusted to keep hold of the ball. He can find the net against PNE. 

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