Middlesbrough vs Preston predictions: Boro to stand firm at the Riverside
- Both of Middlesbrough's league wins this season have come with clean sheets
- Preston have lost three of their four league games this term
- Recommended bet: Middlesbrough to win to nil
Middlesbrough will be looking to keep building the momentum when they welcome a struggling Preston to the Riverside for Championship action on Saturday.
Boro have made a solid start to the season and find themselves just outside the play-off positions on goal difference in the early knockings, while North End have already made a managerial change and are languishing down in 21st position.
Team news
George Edmundson and Ben Doak are both pushing for their Middlesbrough debuts after joining on loan from Ipswich and Liverpool respectively.
Rav van den Berg, Lukas Engel and Jonny Howson could all return from injury to boost the squad, but Alex Bangura, Tom Smith and Marcus Forss remain sidelined.
Preston will be without the suspended Liam Lindsay, who serves a one-match ban for his red card at Oxford last time out, with Jack Whatmough in line to take his place.
The stats
Boro have amassed seven points from their four Championship fixtures this season and they are on a two-match unbeaten run in the league, drawing with Portsmouth before beating Cardiff.
Michael Carrick's side have lost just one of their last seven home matches in England's second tier, winning five of those and drawing the other.
Preston, who sacked Ryan Lowe after the opening match of the campaign, have lost three of their first four league games and are just one place above the relegation zone.
New manager Paul Heckingbottom has overseen two victories and a defeat since taking the reins at Deepdale, with one of those wins coming in the Carabao Cup.
Prediction
It has already been quite the whirlwind season for Preston, who parted ways with manager Lowe after the opening game and brought in Heckingbottom as his replacement.
The former Sheffield United boss has overseen an improvement, winning two of his three games in charge across all competitions, but the 3-1 defeat at Oxford before the international break highlights the work he still has to do.
Preston's away form is a real concern and they have failed to win any of their last seven road assignments in the Championship, taking just one point during that period and losing their last five.
Middlesbrough are unbeaten at home in the league this term, beating Swansea 1-0 before drawing 2-2 against Portsmouth and three points can be claimed at the Riverside on Saturday.
Carrick's troops have won to nil three times in all competitions this season and another victory with a clean sheet can be achieved at Preston's expense.
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