For our Preston vs. Blackpool prediction, we're going for a 2-0 win for the home side.
It's the West Lancashire derby in the Championship this weekend as Preston North End host Blackpool at Deepdale.
Preston North End currently sit 12th in the Championship with fourteen wins, eleven draws and thirteen losses from thirty-eight games this season.
Preston have had a solid campaign under Ryan Lowe as they look set to secure a mid-table, and potentially top half, finish with few resources at their disposal.
They enter this game amidst a decent run of form having won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five matches.
They did, however, fall to a 4-0 battering away at Middlesbrough last time out but considering the scintillating form of Boro that's not necessarily anything to be concerned about.
Preston can be encouraged by their form at home which has been pretty decent in recent weeks having won two and drawn two of their last four matches on home soil.
Preston are seven points shy of the top six and are well clear of the relegation zone and at this point don't have all that much to play for. In a normal game you'd worry about that affecting their results but in a fierce derby fixture there should be no concern regarding their motivation.
Blackpool currently sit 23rd in the Championship with eight wins, eleven draws and nineteen losses from thirty-eight games this season.
The Tangerines have had a difficult campaign this time around are in grave danger of falling back into League One unless they can put a decent run of wins together in this final stretch of the season.
They enter this game in fairly poor form having won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five matches.
In their most recent game Blackpool were comprehensively beaten 1-4 by Coventry City at home, a deflating result given it suggests Mick McCarthy's side will be unable to build on their impressive 6-1 win over Queens Park Rangers the week prior.
Their form away from home is dismal too, with The Seasiders failing to win any of their last eleven games on the road while losing each of their last seven on the bounce, scoring just three times in that period.
Blackpool did beat Preston 4-2 when the two sides last met, but their form has dipped considerably since then and given how poor they are away from home it feels unlikely they'll be able to replicate that win. All signs do, then, point toward a home win here.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our previews, tips and offers for this weekend’s action.