Preston North End vs Oxford United prediction 06.03.2026 | Championship
Preston North End
Kick off:
Date:
Oxford United
1
2.06
X
3.20
2
3.72
Contents
- Competition: Championship
- Date: 6th March 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CET
- Venue: Deepdale
Friday night at Deepdale carries that tight, under-the-floodlights buzz. Preston North End are 11th. Oxford United sit 23rd, just three points from safety. Seventeen points separate mid-table comfort from real relegation nerves. On paper, the Lilywhites should edge it. However, the U’s come in fresh from beating West Brom, and that kind of result can change a dressing room’s mood quickly. Survival fights tend to sharpen focus.
Preston North End vs Oxford United Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
Oxford United
1 : 2
Preston North End
Championship
-
Preston North End
1 : 1
Oxford United
Championship
-
Oxford United
3 : 1
Preston North End
Championship
Only three competitive meetings so far. One win each. One draw. Pretty even. The average sits at 3.0 goals per game, which hints at openness.
Preston North End team overview
After finishing 20th last season, Preston entered this campaign determined to steady the ship. Paul Heckingbottom has done that, to an extent. The Lilywhites have 49 points from 35 matches and 27 of those came at Deepdale. Early home form was strong, five wins from the first eight.
Lately though, momentum has stalled. Four games without a win. Two defeats. Two draws. The 2–0 loss to Millwall last weekend at Deepdale still stings.
Up front, Paul Heckingbottom continues to trust Lewis Dobbin and Daniel Jebbison, who have combined for 13 league goals. Ben Whiteman is the man to watch in midfield. Robbie Brady remains unavailable with a calf issue.
Last matches of Preston North End
-
Preston North End
0 : 2
Millwall
Championship
-
Swansea City
1 : 1
Preston North End
Championship
-
Blackburn Rovers
1 : 0
Preston North End
Championship
-
Preston North End
2 : 2
Watford
Championship
-
Preston North End
1 : 0
Portsmouth
Championship
Preston North End lineup
Goalkeeper
-
13
David Cornell
Defenders
-
42
Odeluga Offiah
-
19
Lewis Gibson
-
16
Andrew Hughes
Midfielders
-
44
Brad Potts
-
4
Ben Whiteman
-
8
Ali McCann
-
3
Andrija Vukčević
-
10
Callum Lang
Forwards
-
17
Lewis Dobbin
-
9
Daniel Jebbison
Oxford United team overview
Oxford survived their first Championship season since 2004-05. That felt like progress. This year has been harsher. The U’s hover in the relegation zone and remain among the favourites to drop.
Matt Bloomfield’s side finally ended a seven-match winless run with a 2–1 victory over West Brom. Relief, certainly. Another win could lift Oxford out of the bottom three.
Away form, however, is worrying. Just one win from the last 12 on the road. That is not encouraging before a trip north.
Will Lankshear has seven goals and should lead the line alongside Stanley Mills. Ole Romeny, Brodie Spencer and Brian De Keersmaecker remain sidelined.
Last matches of Oxford United
-
Oxford United
2 : 1
West Bromwich Albion
Championship
-
Stoke City
2 : 1
Oxford United
Championship
-
Middlesbrough
0 : 0
Oxford United
Championship
-
Oxford United
0 : 1
Sunderland
FA Cup
-
Oxford United
0 : 3
Norwich City
Championship
Oxford United lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Jamie Cumming
Defenders
-
2
Sam Long
-
6
Michał Helik
-
3
Ciaron Brown
-
26
Jack Currie
Midfielders
-
5
Yunus Emre Konak
-
44
Myles Peart-Harris
-
8
Cameron Brannagan
Forwards
-
17
Stanley Mills
-
27
Will Lankshear
-
33
Jamie Donley
Prediction
A 2–2 draw would not shock many. Preston North End are winless in four and have shipped at least two in three of the last four at Deepdale. The Lilywhites look open. Oxford United have managed one clean sheet in ten, however the U’s arrive after beating West Brom. Goals feel likely. Control, perhaps not.
Four reasons we expect over 2.5 goals in this game
- Averagely three goals per game were seen over the course of the previous three meetings between Preston and Oxford.
- Oxford United finished only one of their last ten games without conceding.
- Preston shipped two or more goals in three of their last four games at home.
- Oxford United finished only one of their last eight games without conceding.
Main prediction Preston North End - Oxford United
Over 2.5 goals
Best Odds:
22bet
2.21
Preston North End vs Oxford United standings in Championship
| Regular Season | P | W | D | L |
G - A
|
GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry City | 35 | 21 | 8 | 6 | 72 - 38 | +34 | 71 |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 35 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 54 - 35 | +19 | 66 |
| 3 | Ipswich Town | 34 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 60 - 34 | +26 | 63 |
| 4 | Millwall | 35 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 47 - 40 | +7 | 62 |
| 5 | Hull City | 35 | 18 | 6 | 11 | 56 - 49 | +7 | 60 |
| 6 | Wrexham | 35 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 54 - 45 | +9 | 57 |
| 7 | Southampton | 35 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 57 - 46 | +11 | 53 |
| 8 | Derby County | 35 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 52 - 46 | +6 | 51 |
| 9 | Watford | 35 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 45 - 41 | +4 | 51 |
| 10 | Bristol City | 35 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 48 - 44 | +4 | 50 |
| 11 | Preston North End | 35 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 41 - 40 | +1 | 49 |
| 12 | Birmingham City | 35 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 46 - 46 | 0 | 49 |
| 13 | Sheffield United | 35 | 15 | 3 | 17 | 50 - 48 | +2 | 48 |
| 14 | Stoke City | 35 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 39 - 34 | +5 | 47 |
| 15 | Queens Park Rangers | 35 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 46 - 54 | -8 | 47 |
| 16 | Swansea City | 35 | 13 | 7 | 15 | 40 - 43 | -3 | 46 |
| 17 | Norwich City | 35 | 13 | 6 | 16 | 47 - 44 | +3 | 45 |
| 18 | Charlton Athletic | 35 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 33 - 44 | -11 | 41 |
| 19 | Portsmouth | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 34 - 44 | -10 | 39 |
| 20 | Blackburn Rovers | 35 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 33 - 46 | -13 | 38 |
| 21 | West Bromwich Albion | 35 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 34 - 52 | -18 | 35 |
| 22 | Leicester City | 35 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 47 - 56 | -9 | 34 |
| 23 | Oxford United | 35 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 31 - 47 | -16 | 32 |
| 24 | Sheffield Wednesday | 35 | 1 | 8 | 26 | 21 - 71 | -50 | -7 |