Watford vs Preston Championship prediction & result
Final score: Watford 2-1 Preston.
Before kick-off the model made it 41% Watford, 29% draw, 30% Preston — fair odds of 2.44, 3.45 and 3.33. Fair odds are simply 100 ÷ the probability; they are the model's own number, not a bookmaker's price.
Most likely scoreline: 2-1.
The model called the exact scoreline.
Published · updated
All Championship predictions →
Has the model earned this number?
It puts Watford at 41% here. Across 3,660 settled matches (as of 14 October 2026), 1,712 forecasts have landed in the 40–50% band; those outcomes actually happened 45.8% of the time, against an average forecast of 43.8%. In this range the two line up, so the figure above can be read literally.
Every settled prediction on this site is scored against an uninformed baseline, band by band, and published whether or not it flatters the model — see the full record.
How the model saw it, minute by minute
Rebuilt after the match from the model's pre-match expected goals, frozen in the log before kick-off, plus the score and cards as they stood at each minute — never anything later. A ball marks each of the 3 goals. The same replay scores the in-play model on the track record.
Match analysis
Match timeline
Match stats — Watford vs Preston
Line-ups
- 1F. RavagliaG
- 4K. KebenD
- 6M. PollockD
- 3S. CoulibalyD
- 23O. TraoréD
- 39E. KayembeM
- 5H. KyprianouM
- 21Amin NabizadaM
- 22M. PayeroM
- 11R. VataM
- 20M. DoumbiaF
- 26D. BachmannG
- 17Iker BravoF
- 9L. KjerrumgaardF
- 7O. MaammaF
- 45S. MavididiF
- 24S. WalkerG
- 33J. ZemuraD
- 56Albert EamesD
- 1D. IversenG
- 4H. ClarkeD
- 24O. OffiahD
- 14J. StoreyD
- 19L. GibsonD
- 3A. VukčevićD
- 27L. LeroyM
- 15J. ThompsonM
- 7A. DevineM
- 10C. LangF
- 38J. KennyF
- 6L. LindsayD
- 17S. MillsM
- 23A. MoranM
- 21L. NichollsG
- 11T. SmallD
- 12C. WileyD
- 20L. GibbsM
- 9J. ErabiF
- 37D. BurgzorgF
Form going into Watford vs Preston
Watford
- L0-1away to West Brom5 September 2026
- L0-2away to Swansea1 September 2026
- D1-1West Ham29 August 2026
- D1-1away to Wrexham22 August 2026
- W2-1Southampton16 August 2026
Preston
- W2-1Blackburn5 September 2026
- L1-3Bristol City1 September 2026
- L0-1away to Charlton29 August 2026
- L1-3Wolves22 August 2026
- L1-2away to Bolton15 August 2026
What these results say
- Watford conceded in every one of these 5 matches.
- Watford failed to win 4 of these 5 matches.
- 4 of these 5 matches for Watford had two goals or fewer.
- Preston conceded in every one of these 5 matches.
- Preston failed to win 4 of these 5 matches.
- Preston scored in 4 of these 5 matches.
Up to 5 matches before kick-off, most recent first. The model rates each side on its goals over this season and last, adjusted for the opposition, rather than on these results alone, so read them as context — how the ratings are built.
Championship table
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Watford | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 19 | -11 | 8 |
| 24 | Preston | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 20 | -12 | 4 |
Where the two sides stand today, not on the day of this match. Full table
Head-to-head: Watford vs Preston
- 8 September 2026Watford 2–1 PrestonChampionship
- 14 February 2026Preston 2–2 WatfordChampionship
- 25 November 2025Watford 1–1 PrestonChampionship
- 21 January 2025Watford 1–2 PrestonChampionship
- 2 October 2024Preston 3–0 WatfordChampionship
- 6 April 2024Watford 0–0 PrestonChampionship
Goal trends
Over 1.5 goals
Over 2.5 goals
Over 3.5 goals
Both teams score
Outer rings: how often each side's most recent league matches before kick-off (up to 10 games; the count is under each ring) went over the line. Middle ring: the model's own probability for this match, from the same expected goals as the prediction above. Past matches are context; the middle ring is the estimate. Not betting advice.