Bradford City vs Preston North End: prediction and odds

In a pre-season friendly clash that pits a League Two side against a Championship outfit, Bradford City will host Preston North End. The hosts aim to extend their impressive run of summer friendlies by toppling a higher-status opponent, while the visitors are desperate to snap a losing streak and fine-tune their game ahead of the new campaign. Can a stubborn Bradford City put up a real fight, or will Preston finally shake off their crisis?

Bradford City: Strong Form and Prolific Football

Bradford City finished fourth in the League One standings last season, amassing 77 points from 46 rounds. However, their attacking play went missing in the play-off semi-finals against Bolton, resulting in two identical 1-0 defeats. Since then, the club has focused on pre-season preparations, which have gone reasonably well, though it’s worth noting that the hosts haven’t faced any truly strong opponents yet.

Bradford City only stumbled in a match against a stubborn Accrington Stanley (0-1), but they were active and positive in all other outings. They thrashed a weak Austrian side, Gmunden (4-0), and demolished Halifax Town (6-1) of the National League. A successful encounter also came against the weaker United of Manchester (2-1) of the NPL. These contests have helped Bradford City build confidence and proved that the team can create plenty of chances in front of goal.

Preston North End: Lingering Misfortunes

The team’s problems began to surface towards the end of last season. Their final Championship matches were poor. In a high-scoring affair, they only managed to beat a roughly equal Sheffield United (3-2). But against Southampton (1-3), Birmingham (1-2), and West Brom (0-2), they failed to show anything coherent. The side demonstrated that their defensive fragility had flared up again, and they have yet to find a solution.

We’re seeing that poor defensive display from Preston continue in their friendlies. While a loss to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday (2-3) was somewhat expected, the frankly mediocre recent results against clearly weaker opponents like Cambridge (0-1) and Marine (0-3) stand out. It’s clear the team hasn’t found its rhythm yet and is in poor shape.

Predicted Lineups

Bradford City: Lewis; Halliday, Shepherd, Byrne, Richards; Smallwood, Pattison; Wilson, Cook, Pointon; Smith

Preston North End: Cornell; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, McCann, Whiteman, Brady; Frokjaer, Riis; Keane

Referee

The match will be officiated by an unnamed referee, as is common for pre-season friendlies.

Prediction and Bet

Main Prediction: Bradford City (+1) Handicap

The current results of both teams in their summer friendlies are the main justification for this pick. Bradford City has won 3 of their 4 July friendlies, scoring 12 goals in that period. Preston, despite their Championship status, is on a downturn and has suffered three consecutive defeats. The home side is in significantly better shape and is capable of giving their stronger opponent a real game without collapsing. The pick is: Bradford City (+1) handicap.

Total Goals Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals

The recent friendly statistics for both teams clearly point to high scoring. Bradford City has hit the three-goal mark in three of their four July matches. In Preston’s games, the over has hit against Marine (0-3), Sheffield Wednesday (2-3), and Bamber Bridge (4-1). Considering the experimental nature of a friendly and the visitors’ defensive errors, we can expect an open, entertaining game. The pick is: Total Goals Over 2.5.