Derby v Portsmouth predictions: Pompey to avoid crashing in Rams' raid
- Derby have won only one of their last 12
- Portsmouth are unbeaten in four matches
- Recommended bet: Draw or Portsmouth Double Chance
Portsmouth finally clambered out of the Championship's bottom three on Tuesday night and will fancy they can continue their upward momentum at Derby.
Paul Warne's Rams have just had a tough few days featuring trips to Leeds and Burnley and they are struggling at home and away and have gone winless at Pride Park in over two months.
Team news
Paul Warne set up Derby in a 3-5-2 formation at Burnley on Tuesday and was rewarded with a decent performance which frustrated the Clarets.
Warne has options to change formation or personnel, although Ryan Nyambe and David Ozoh remain sidelined.
Portsmouth have one enforced change with centre-back Regan Poole limping out of Tuesday's 0-0 draw with Norwich with a hamstring problem. Tom McIntyre is a doubt after busting his nose replacing Poole against the Canaries which means Ryley Towler could be Pompey's only fit centre-back.
Andre Dozzell and Callum Lang, both suspended against Norwich, presumably return. Dozzell will replace Owen Potts in central midfield with Lang set to depose Paddy Lane in the No.10 slot.
The stats
Before Tuesday's 0-0 draw at Burnley, each of Derby's previous 12 matches had produced either two or three goals.
Warne's men have won only one of their last 11, although six of those games ended in draws.
Portsmouth are unbeaten in four matches with two wins and two draws.
Nine of the 12 away goals scored by Pompey have been in the first half of matches.
Prediction
Derby are going through a tough spell and welcome Portsmouth at the end of a tough week in which they have travelled to big hitters Leeds and Burnley.
They lost 2-0 at Leeds and looked and sounded beaten before the first whistle. They were much better at Turf Moor, drawing 0-0 and frustrating Scott Parker's highflyers.
The clean sheet, their first in 11 matches, was welcome although they are not creating many chances and not capitalising on those they do create. They scored 10 goals in those 11 games and notched more than once in just one of them.
Portsmouth's defence is pretty threadbare but there has been an upturn in the fortunes of John Mousinho's side.
They, too, go into battle after a 0-0 draw, in their case at home to Norwich. It was a nothing game but they earned a second successive clean sheet for the first time since January following a 3-0 defeat of Bristol City, which is further encouragement.
The return of Colby Bishop to lead the line has coincided with the improved results and key men Dozzell and Lang are fresh after a week off following bans.
Portsmouth should be good enough to avoid defeat which makes the draw or Pompey double-chance bet appeal.
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