Promotion hopefuls Preston travel to mid-table Reading to kick-off another weekend of Sky Bet Championship action. Cam Pope offers his best bet.
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Football betting tips: Reading v Preston
1pt Under 1.5 Goals at 11/5 (bet365)
This season suggests that 'goals' and 'Preston' are about as far from synonymous as two words in the footballing dictionary can be.
North End's 19 Championship games have brought up just 29 goals - a statistic that becomes all the more staggering when you account for the 4-2 loss at Blackpool three matches ago and 3-2 win at Norwich in early October.
Across the other 17 matches there have been just 18 goals scored.
The Lancashire outfit have scored fewer times than any other second-tier club - including Coventry, who have played three games fewer - with 14 to their name, letting in just 15.
If we further pick apart the statistics, the extent to which Ryan Lowe's men are underperforming in the final third is reflected in the difference between their xGF generated (21.0) and actual goal output - a total of seven.
However, their saving grace lies in the fact that the same phenomenon is visible at the other end of the field, with their xGA standing at 22.4 - a discrepancy of 7.4.
Kick-off time: 20:00 BST, Friday
TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event
Reading 29/20 | Draw 9/4 | Preston 19/10
Fans at the Madejski have hardly been blessed in the attacking stakes, either. Reading average just 1.11 goals per match and are suffering from an acute loss of form, winning just once in their last seven.
Their 0-0 draw with similarly placed Luton last time out suggests the Royals, anchored in mid-table, have found their level and face another close battle in Friday night's clash; they sit two points behind their visitors with a game in hand.
The above lead me to side with UNDER 1.5 GOALS in this floodlit affair; little of what both sides have exhibited so far suggests this will be a classic.
With key midfield man Ben Whiteman, almost an ever-present in Preston's respectable start to the season, missing from the travelling unit after being withdrawn early in the 1-0 win over Swansea on Tuesday, the likelihood of North End's slight recent improvement going forward continuing has reduced.
Reading v Preston best bets and preview
- 1pt Under 1.5 goals at 11/5 (bet365)
Score prediction: Reading 0-1 Preston (Sky Bet odds: 7/1)
Odds correct at 1235 BST (02/11/22)
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