Rotherham United will be aiming to move out of the Championship relegation zone when they travel to Preston North End on Saturday.
The Millers are 22nd and just two points adrift of safety following a recent upturn in form, while the hosts sit in mid-table obscurity in 11th.
Match preview
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Only a month ago, Rotherham looked in deep trouble as they were on a run of just one win in nine games, with their small squad being stretched by the quality and the demands of the Championship.
However, Paul Warne's commitment to the 3-5-2 system since the start of 2021 has seen them pick up 10 points from the last 15 available; the team's destiny is also in their own hands as they have games in hand over the teams sitting just above the relegation zone.
One of those sides is Derby County, who the Millers beat 3-0 at home on Wednesday; all three goals were scored in the final 15 minutes of the game by Michael Ihiekwe, Michael Smith and Ryan Giles.
Warne's side now have the opportunity to win back-to-back games in the Championship for the first time since April 2016 and take another big step towards survival.
Although Rotherham have just three victories from their 14 away games this season, they have won their last two matches on the road against Derby and Middlesbrough.
The Millers have not taken three points from Deepdale since 2002, when Warne came on as a substitute, but did win this season's reverse fixture at the New York Stadium in November when Matt Crooks's late goal secured a 2-1 victory.
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Preston have preferred playing away rather than at home this season and have only won four of their 13 games at Deepdale, scoring just 10 times.
The Lilywhites lost 1-0 at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend, meaning they have won just one of their last five matches.
A disappointing run of form has left Alex Neil's side six points behind the playoffs so they must improve their consistency if they are to have any chance of breaking into the top six.
A key clash awaits next Friday against Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers, who are currently eighth, so Neil will be keen to get a win this weekend to provide a springboard into that one.
Preston's recent fixtures have tended to be low-scoring affairs, with only two of their last eight matches containing more than one goal and both of those contained just two.
Preston North End Championship form: WLLWDL
Preston North End form (all competitions): LLLWDL
Rotherham United Championship form: LWDWLW
Rotherham United form (all competitions): LWDWLW
Team News
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There was a flurry of activity at Preston on transfer deadline day, and Ben Davies's surprise exit to Liverpool leaves a vacancy at centre-back which loan signing Liam Lindsay is expected to fill.
Fellow new arrival Anthony Gordon could also make his debut on the left wing, but Neil has admitted that his team selection will be tough as he has only seen his new signings in training for a couple of days.
After two goals in three substitute appearances, Rotherham January signing Giles could start for the first time at left wing-back.
There may also be a first start for deadline day arrival Lewis Wing, who is on loan from Middlesbrough. Jamal Blackman is currently self-isolating, meanwhile, so Viktor Johansson will continue in goal.
Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Iversen; Browne, Huntington, Lindsay, Hughes; Whiteman, Ledson; Sinclair, Johnson, Gordon; Jakobsen
Rotherham United possible starting lineup:
Johansson; Ihiekwe, Wood, A. MacDonald; Harding, Lindsay, Wing, Wiles, Giles; Crooks, Smith
We say: Preston North End 1-1 Rotherham United
Rotherham are gathering momentum in their fight against relegation, and they will be confident of taking something from this game, particularly given Preston's woes at home. The Lilywhites need a result to keep their playoff hopes alive, though, so we think it will end level at Deepdale.
Top betting tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Rotherham United win with a probability of 38.59%. A win for Preston North End had a probability of 34.26% and a draw had a probability of 27.2%.
The most likely scoreline for a Rotherham United win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.81%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.25%) and 0-2 (6.93%). The likeliest Preston North End win was 1-0 (10.05%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.87%). The actual scoreline of 1-2 was predicted with an 8.3% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Rotherham United would win this match.
