Coventry City vs Preston North End Prediction: Both teams just outside playoff spot

Coventry City will welcome Preston North End at Coventry Building Society Arena in Game Week 34 of the English Championship. Both teams are just outside the playoff spot and a victory can propel them there. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

During a period where Leicester City, Leeds United, and Southampton are dominating the headlines, Coventry has quietly been gaining traction in the standings. The team has shown impressive form by only losing twice in their last 21 games, with 12 wins during that stretch. Despite being in seventh place, three points behind sixth-placed Hull City, Coventry has managed to keep up with the teams above them.

In their recent game against Stoke City, Coventry secured a 1-0 victory, earning seven points from their last three matches and keeping their first clean sheet since Boxing Day. Their strong performance at home, with only one defeat and 14 goals conceded in 16 league fixtures, is notable.

Following Victor Torp's calf injury against Stoke, there is a likelihood that experienced player Liam Kelly will be brought back into the Coventry midfield. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto is also set to return on the right flank after recovering from a sickness bug, potentially displacing Nuno Tavares. While Milan van Ewijk and Kasey Palmer are contenders for recalls, the rest of the Coventry XI may remain unchanged.

Wilson; Latibeaudiere, Thomas, Binks, Dasilva; Kelly, Eccles; Sakamoto, O'Hare, Wright; Simms

Ryan Lowe's Preston team has shown improvement by accumulating 10 points from their last four games after struggling with three wins in 13 matches. Despite going down 2-0 early in their derby against Blackburn Rovers, Preston fought back to secure a draw. Sitting within six points of fifth-placed West Bromwich Albion, Preston is still in contention for promotion, with a crucial fixture ahead on Friday.

Preston, despite a slow start against Blackburn, managed to turn the situation around, prompting manager Lowe to potentially stick with the same starting lineup. If there are any changes, Ali McCann could come back into the midfield, but Brad Potts and Duane Holmes are likely to miss out due to injuries.

Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Millar, Browne, Whiteman, Frokjaer-Jensen, Brady; Riis, Keane

Both teams are currently in good form and might expect to secure at least a point in this match. However, Coventry's strong home record makes them the favourites to clinch a narrow victory. We however expect more than 2.5 goals in the game with both teams on the scoresheet.