Preston North End v Wycombe Wanderers: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Preston North End welcome Wycombe Wanderers to Deepdale on Saturday with a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup at stake.

The Championship season has been a bit of a slog for Preston, who started with losses at home to Sheffield United (0-2) and away to Swansea (0-3) and have not been outside of the bottom half.

However, they had made a bright start to 2025 and were unbeaten in five until last Friday’s 2-1 loss away to Lancashire rivals Blackburn at Ewood Park.

Wycombe are targeting automatic promotion from League One, as they sit second in the standings and are preparing for their first match under Mike Dodds, who won the race to replace Matt Bloomfield in the Adams Park dugout.

Preston North End v Wycombe Wanderers betting tips and predictions

Preston to win - 5/4

Preston are seven-time FA Cup finalists - lifting the trophy on two occasions - and they can keep their latest Wembley dream alive by defeating Wycombe without need of extra-time or penalties.

It can be tempting for managers to prioritise league points over progress in the knockout competitions, but North End’s Paul Heckingbottom went strong with his selection for last month’s third-round tie at home to Charlton and was rewarded with a 2-1 victory.

Heckingbottom’s approach is unlikely to change, and a largely first-choice Preston side should have a bit too much quality and nous for Wycombe, who have League One promotion on their minds.

Wycombe advanced to this stage with a 2-0 victory over Championship strugglers Portsmouth, who deployed a largely second string XI.

Since then the Chairboys have gone four games unbeaten in the league, although those fixtures have included disappointing draws at home to Northampton (0-0) and away to Cambridge (1-1).

Wycombe reportedly fought off a lot of January interest in their star striker Richard Kone, who is their top scorer with 16 goals in 28 league appearances.

But Kone has started only one of Wycombe’s three FA Cup matches and his minutes may continue to be managed with a view to keeping him fresh and injury-free for the league games to come.

Wycombe aren’t used to losing but they are up against a well-organised Preston side unbeaten in nine home games and appear likely to fall short.

Milutin Osmajic to score at any time - 11/5

Preston have some excellent attacking options including Montenegrin striker Milutin Osmajic, who could play a starring role.

Osmajic was the key man in Preston’s FA Cup success at home to Charlton, scoring both goals in a 2-1 victory.

He netted another brace in a recent 2-1 Championship victory at Watford and is a worthwhile wager to find the net against Wycombe.

Both teams to score - 4/5

Wycombe are League One’s top scorers with 55 goals in 29 matches and are unlikely to change their positive approach against a higher grade of opposition.

The Buckinghamshire side are clever with their recruitment of managers and have turned to former Birmingham and Sunderland coach Mike Dodds, who earned a reputation for playing a key role in the development of some talented players including Jude and Jobe Bellingham.

Dodds’s team are unlikely to play with any fear and can extend Wycombe’s impressive sequence of scoring in 16 successive away games.

However, they may struggle to keep the back door shut against Championship opposition, so it makes sense to back both teams to score.

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Preston North End v Wycombe Wanderers odds

Preston North End - 5/4
Draw - 11/5
Wycombe Wanderers - 12/5

View the full market and more odds for Preston North End v Wycombe Wanderers on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.