Leeds vs Preston Prediction: Title charge back on track?

Well, well, well. Leeds United are back on the top of the Championship table after a smashing midweek win over Middlesbrough, and with Sheffield United and Burnley dropping points, the trophy is now back in the sights of the Whites. 

Their next test comes at Elland Road on Saturday, as Daniel Farke’s side host Preston North End (12:30, Sky Sports+). Below you can find my Leeds vs Preston prediction as I bring you the latest team news and betting odds. 

Football Odds

Team News

Leeds were pretty much faultless against Boro in a tricky away game, and had it not been for two wrongly-disallowed 'offside' goals, they could have secured a handsome win. For those reasons, I can see Farke naming an unchanged team, with the front four all combining well to create chances at the Riverside. 

Dan James opened the scoring and is set to start along with Manor Solomon, Brenden Aaronson and Joel Piroe in the final third, while Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev should play in midfield once again. Ethan Ampadu looked assured at centre-back so will continue alongside Joe Rodon, with Junior Firpo at left-back and Jaydon Bogle at right-back. 

Karl Darlow put in a strong display as Leeds kept their first clean sheet in four matches, with Illan Meslier now having to watch on from the bench for the rest of the campaign.

For Preston, a late concession saw them draw 2-2 with Cardiff City in midweek, and manager Paul Heckingbottom will be returning to Elland Road - having been Leeds’ gaffer for a short spell in 2018. 

It looks to be more of the same from a PNE point of view. You know you are going to get a 3-5-2 with this team, with Robbie Brady on the left and Kaine Kesler-Hayden on the right. Up top, Emil Riis Jakobsen will hope for a start, but he will have to get past Milutin Osmajic and Will Keane for a spot in the XI. 

David Cornell will continue to deputise in goal, with Freddie Woodman out for the season, while Liam Lindsey could come into the back three. Brad Potts and Alistair McCann are both on the road to recovery, but this one will likely come too soon. 

Leeds vs Preston Odds

Leeds United are unsurprisingly priced at 2/9 to win this game at Elland Road having won 15 of their 20 home fixtures this term. That gives them an implied win probability of 82%, while Preston can be backed at 9/1 and a draw is 9/2.

Over 2.5 goals is 4/6 and BTTS is 6/5 having come in during 59% of Preston’s games so far. Piroe is the favourite to find the net first at 7/2, and he will have half an eye on the Golden Boot, as he sits two adrift of Borja Sainz.

Leeds United -1 handicap @ 4/5 

Leeds are back on track. I think the fixture list has opened up and after a sticky spell, we will see them back to their best, home and away. I can see them winning each of their last five games, and they’ve been pretty spectacular at Elland Road this term. 

15 wins, four draws and one loss at home speaks for itself, while they were unfortunate not to win by three or four goals on Tuesday night. All my jitters surrounding Leeds have evaporated, and they’ve got a kind home fixture here against PNE. 

North End have only won three of their 20 league matches away from Deepdale this term, and I just don’t think they have the quality to compete in this one. A comfortable home win is on the cards. 

Dan James to score anytime @ 13/8 

The main man for Leeds of late has been the Welsh winger. Piroe has seen his goals dry up and he hasn’t found the net in the last seven, as he and Norwich’s Sainz lay stagnant at the top of the Championship’s scoring charts. 

The Golden Boot race is wide open, with James now an outsider having scored 12 goals this term. He’s hit two in his last two games and looks to be trusted implicitly by Farke. I’m more than happy to back him to continue this fine goalscoring form by striking one against Preston on Saturday. 

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