Heckingbottom will feel that his side are better prepared for the next stretch of matches after the international break. Nevertheless, Boro will back themselves to add another home victory to their tally, even if they are made to work hard for it.
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Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Middlesbrough win with a probability of 53.8%. A draw had a probability of 23.9% and a win for Preston North End had a probability of 22.29%.
The most likely scoreline for a Middlesbrough win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.24%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.73%) and 2-0 (9.62%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.36%), while for a Preston North End win it was 0-1 (6.64%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with an 11.4% likelihood.
0.04) 
-0.06) 
