Portsmouth vs Sunderland predictions: Pompey can upset leaders
- Portsmouth have drawn all three of their Championship games since promotion
- Pompey have scored at least twice in nine of their last 13 matches at Fratton Park
- Recommended bet: Portsmouth draw no bet
Sunderland have had a storming start to the Championship season, winning their opening three matches without conceding, but plenty of the second tier’s big guns have already discovered that Portsmouth are a tough nut to crack.
It is a long trip for the Black Cats down to the south coast and it may not prove a fruitful experience.
Team news
Portsmouth are still without striker Colby Bishop, who is recovering from heart surgery while long-term knee-injury victim Regan Poole is still missing.
Sunderland defender Daniel Ballard hopes to be involved after a knee injury but Niall Huggins and Jenson Seelt are unavailable with similar issues.
Dan Neil is suspended after his red card against Burnley last time out.
The stats
Portsmouth have drawn all three of their Championship games since promotion.
Both teams have scored in just one of Sunderland’s last 12 league games.
Eight of Sunderland’s last 10 away league games have featured fewer than three goals.
Portsmouth have suffered one defeat in their last 10 league matches.
Pompey have scored at least twice in nine of their last 13 matches at Fratton Park.
Prediction
Sunderland fans are already dreaming of a return to the Premier League after an excellent start to the season and their first three games could have hardly gone better.
Victories over Cardiff and Sheffield Wednesday were solid foundations but the excitement was cranked up a level last week when they beat Burnley, who had looked ominous good in their opening victories over Luton and the Bluebirds.
However, they are having to cope with their first disappointment of seeing star winger Jack Clarke head to Ipswich and there is a strong chance that they could find Saturday’s trip to Portsmouth an experience that is not straightforward.
Portsmouth came into the Championship with high hopes of gaining a successive promotion, just as Ipswich did last season and while they have been unable to post a victory in their opening three matches, manager John Mousinho should be proud of his team’s efforts.
Robbed of the services of striker Colby Bishop, who has had a heart operation after scoring 20 goals in their last two seasons in League One, Pompey have dug in and earned draws against Leeds, Luton and Middlesbrough, all of whom are expected to be in the fight for a Premier League spot.
They were denied a win at the Riverside last weekend by a last-gasp Boro penalty and the best policy for this match looks to be to back the home side in the draw no bet market.
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