Queens Park Rangers vs Watford Prediction: Queens Park Rangers lack both confidence and momentum

Chris Wilder will commence his role as the manager of Watford by leading the team against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, following his appointment on Tuesday. The hosts let go of Slaven Bilic despite being placed 10th in the Championship table. Additionally, Gareth Ainsworth, who has recently taken over at Loftus Road, is yet to secure his first victory as the team's manager.

Queens Park Rangers' recent form in the Championship has been poor, as they have dropped down the division after an initial 12-game unbeaten run beginning on Boxing Day. This run of form was broken with a victory, which was also Neil Critchley's only triumph in his short tenure as manager before he was replaced by Gareth Ainsworth in mid-February. However, under Ainsworth's leadership, QPR has been unable to turn their fortunes around, suffering a 3-1 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers and a 3-1 loss to Rotherham United. In the latter match, Jordan Hugill scored twice for Rotherham United, with Jamal Lowe scoring a penalty for QPR, before Hakeem Odoffin sealed the win for the hosts in injury time. As a result of their poor form, QPR has dropped to 20th place in the league, and with only a seven-point lead over the relegation zone, Ainsworth will be eager to secure his first win with the club in their remaining 11 matches to improve their position and increase their safety margin.

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Watford, who are fighting to improve their position under new management, find themselves at the other end of the division as they strive to close the gap to the playoff places. Despite being in a strong position to achieve a top-six finish with 43 points from 27 league games, they have hit a rough patch since mid-January, with only one victory in their last eight attempts in England's second tier. Their recent 3-2 win over West Bromwich Albion at home came after three successive draws, but they suffered a 1-0 defeat to second-placed Sheffield United in their next match, and had to settle for a goalless draw against Preston North End in their most recent game. This draw ultimately led to the end of Slaven Bilic's six-month tenure, as Chris Wilder was swiftly appointed with the aim of getting Watford back into the playoff spots. Currently sitting in 10th place in the Championship, they have a four-point gap to sixth-placed Norwich City, and their rivals Luton Town are six points better off in fifth place. Wilder will have to hit the ground running in order to have any chance of reclaiming a coveted playoff spot.

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At the moment, Queens Park Rangers lack both confidence and momentum, while Watford still possess considerable quality and are likely to benefit from the boost that a new manager can bring. Our prediction is that the Hornets will emerge victorious at Loftus Road, as they aim to go on a winning streak and move towards the top six. We anticipate Watford to win, and there may be less than 2.5 goals scored in the match.