Portsmouth vs Coventry predictions: Chastened Pompey to halt Sky Blues

Steve Davies

Spotlight

Frank Lampard has enjoyed a positive start to his time in charge at Coventry City.

- Portsmouth were thumped 4-0 at Derby last Friday
- Coventry have taken seven points from 12 under Lampard
- Recommended bet: Draw

Portsmouth were out of the Championship bottom three for just a few days last week before they sank back in following a thrashing at Derby County and they will hope to use home advantage to get back on the winning trail.

Coventry City, now under Frank Lampard's management, worthily beat Hull City 2-1 on Saturday to continue their rise towards mid-table and will see this trip to the south coast as a chance to land rare back-to-back victories.

The latest Portsmouth vs Coventry odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Team news

Centre-back Regan Poole is in a race against time to recover from a hamstring injury and line up in Pompey's back four.

With centre-backs Conor Shaughnessy and Ibane Bowatt still out, if Poole isn't fit it means John Mousinho will perm two from Tom McIntyre, Ryley Towler and converted midfielder Marlon Pack.

Coventry are still missing top scorer Haji Wright, who is out with an ankle injury.

Despite his missed penalty against the Tigers, Victor Torp probably did enough to retain his place in midfield ahead of academy graduate Josh Eccles.

The stats

Portsmouth are unbeaten in their last three home matches, keeping clean sheets in each of the last two.

Coventry are one of three sides in the Championship yet to be involved in a 0-0 draw and they have taken nine points from losing positions in their last 10 matches.

Pompey average 10.6 shots per game in the Championship, only Oxford manage fewer.

Coventry average 13.8 shots per game in the Championship, only Leeds and Middlesbrough average more.

The latest Portsmouth vs Coventry odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Prediction

Portsmouth have not quite managed to turn Fratton Park into the fortress it was in League One last season, but they should still be confident they can get a point from Saturday's showdown with Coventry.

Scarred by last Friday night's 4-0 drubbing at Derby, Mousinho has had a week to lift spirits and come up with a plan to fend off the Sky Blues.

Coventry are proving hard to read under Frank Lampard, the successor to the luckless Mark Robins.

Lampard's results so far have been mixed with two wins, a draw and a defeat, the most recent effort last weekend's 2-1 triumph over bottom club Hull.

They were certainly worth the win but the Tigers are poor and Coventry were never wholly convincing, either, so this will be a decent test of how much progress the former England captain is making.

Pompey will throw in howlers, the Derby hammering had echoes of the 6-1 drubbing at Stoke, but this is also a team who have drawn with Leeds, Middlesbrough and Sheffield United, so Coventry look short enough for a match which may well be tight.

Back the Draw at 5/2 with LiveScore Bet