Preston North End vs. Blackpool Predictions: Honours even at Deepdale on Tuesday

The hosts come into this one with only one win in their last seven at Deepdale, fresh off the back of back-to-back defeats after Ravel Morrison’s scissored strike for Derby was enough to see Ryan Lowe’s side off at the weekend. 

Their supremo will have to shuffle his deck for the visit of Blackpool following Liam Lindsey’s straight red card at the weekend. This will likely see Sepp van den Berg recalled and a switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Blackpool will also be looking to put a defeat on the weekend behind them, there’s was comparatively worse though as they were thrashed 1-4 by Nottingham Forest on their own backyard.

Callum Connolly scored a late consolation on Saturday which could be enough to earn him a spot alongside Kenny Dougall at the heart of midfield. Elsewhere, Neil Critchley could recall Keshi Anderson into the XI at the expense of CJ Hamilton.

Since Lowe took the reins at Deepdale, no side in the second tier has drawn more games then North End’s eight. That is 18 games, 44% ending all square with 18 goals scored and 18 goals conceded in that time. 

I think that goal difference of zero encapsulates the fine margins of Lowe’s tenure nicely as his side have only won by more than one goal once, 0-2 away at West Brom, and lost by more than one goal once, a 4-0 defeat at Kenilworth Road. 

This, combined with the occasion, makes a draw seem the most logical play. 

The visitors have drawn ten of their league games this season, though 70% of those have come on the road with three of their last five away games ending all square.

After an eight year hiatus, the clash between these two sides last October was particularly feisty as Tim Robinson dished out ten yellow and one red cards. Therefore, I think the card market is worth delving into here. 

Sepp van den Berg’s price of 4/1 with Bet365 appeals as the same bet is as short as 14/5 elsewhere. 

With seven cards to his name in 42 appearances this season, the Liverpool loanee is not the most cynical. Interestingly though, he picked up all bar one of those bookings when playing on the right side of a back three, which, coincidentally, is where he is expected to start on Tuesday. 

To put that into perspective, he averages 0.26 cards per game at RCB and 0.07 cards per game when playing elsewhere. It also does not hurt that his direct opponent should be Blackpool’s mercurial man Keshi Anderson.

Statistically speaking, Anderson has been the Tangerines most dangerous player this campaign. He tops their charts for fouls drawn with an average of 2.2 fouls per game, 0.8 more per game then Josh Bowler- their second most dangerous player- on the other flank.

Anderson has started 21 league games on the left and drawn a card from his direct opponent in a third of those games. Lewis Coyle, Hull City’s right back, had a particularly torrid afternoon as he was booked twice. 

Best of luck if you are backing any of these selections and please remember to gamble responsibly.