Middlesbrough vs Preston North End prediction and preview

Middlesbrough vs Preston North End

Championship · Friday 1 January 2027, 15:00 UTC · Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough · Preston North End · Championship predictions

Middlesbrough welcome Preston North End at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough on Friday 1 January 2027 (15:00 UTC) in the Championship. Middlesbrough go into the round 2nd, on 28 points from 13 games, while Preston North End sit 24th on 5 points after 14 matches.

Middlesbrough come into the game with a W-W-D-W-W run in the league (4 wins, 1 draw and 0 defeats in their last 5), while Preston North End's recent sequence reads L-L-D-L-L. Over their last 6, Middlesbrough have scored 2.7 and conceded 1.2 goals per game, with 5 of those matches going over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring in 4. Preston North End average 0.7 scored and 2.5 conceded across their last 6, with 0 clean sheets.

The sides have met 10 times in the records we hold: Middlesbrough won 3, 2 games were drawn and Preston North End won 5. Those games averaged 3.5 goals, 9 finished with more than 2.5 goals and both teams scored in 7. The most recent meeting, on 24 Jan 2026, ended Middlesbrough 4-0 Preston North End.