Hull vs Portsmouth predictions: Out-of-form pair to share the spoils
- Hull sit 15th in the standings after a four-game winless run
- Portsmouth have picked up five of their eight points away from home
- Recommended bet: Draw
Hull will be aiming to end a four-game winless run when they welcome the Championship's bottom club Portsmouth to the MKM Stadium on Saturday.
It has been an up and down start to the season for Tim Walter's side, who had won three on the bounce before their recent slump, which includes a 4-0 defeat at Norwich.
Portsmouth have struggled to adapt to life in the Championship following last season's promotion, winning just once in 12 games, and they will head to Humberside sitting four points adrift of safety.
Team news
Hull have confirmed that winger Liam Millar will miss the rest of the season with the serious knee injury he suffered in their last home fixture against Burnley, while Marvin Mehlem, Steven Alzate (both calf), Ryan Longman (shoulder) and Carl Rushworth (ankle) all remain in the treatment room.
Portsmouth should be boosted by the return of first-choice goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid, who missed last week's home loss to Sheffield Wednesday due to concussion.
Paddy Lane (Achilles) and Jordan Williams (hip) are also nearing returns but are unlikely to feature, while Zak Swanson, Jacob Farrell, Conor Shaughnessy, Ibane Bowat and Colby Bishop are all longer term absentees.
The stats
Hull have won just three of their 13 matches across all competitions since former Hamburg boss Walter's arrival as head coach over the summer.
Only QPR and Saturday's opponents Portsmouth have picked up fewer home points than the Tigers in this season's Championship.
Portsmouth sit bottom of the standings but their only victory to date did come on their travels — last month's 2-1 success at fellow strugglers QPR.
John Mousinho's side boasted the best away record in League One last season, winning 13 and losing only two of their 23 road fixtures.
Hull were 4-0 winners when these two sides last locked horns — a third-tier clash at Fratton Park in January 2021 — but their most recent meeting at the MKM Stadium, which came the month before that game, saw Portsmouth triumph 2-0.
Prediction
After only just missing out on the play-offs last season, it has been a slightly underwhelming start to the season for Hull, particularly on home soil where they have picked up just six points from as many games.
Three of those matches at the MKM Stadium have ended all-square and Hull will head into this game on the back of successive draws against Burnley at home and Derby on the road.
Portsmouth have shared the spoils in five of their 12 league games and despite propping up the table, they have not been blown away in many matches — the outlier being last month's 6-1 defeat to Stoke.
With Hull having failed to win any of their last four and Portsmouth triumphing just once all season, this could be a closely-fought contest and it would be no surprise to see it finish all square.
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