The stakes are high at both ends of the table as Bristol City kick off the New Year with a home Championship clash against Portsmouth at Ashton Gate.
Can the home team pile pressure on their playoff rivals, or will Portsmouth pull themselves further away from the relegation zone? Read our Bristol City vs Portsmouth prediction and preview to find out, but don’t forget to also check out some of our other Championship predictions.
Contents
- 1 Bristol City vs Portsmouth prediction: Tight game in prospect
- 2 Pre-game odds and win probability: Bristol City backed to win
- 3 Most recent H2Hs: Few past meetings
- 4 Bristol City preview: Victory needed in playoff pursuit
- 5 Portsmouth preview: Battle against relegation continues
- 6 Player to watch: Anis Mehmeti
Bristol City vs Portsmouth prediction: Tight game in prospect
Key Stats
Bristol City have won two of their last three Championship games.
Bristol City have kept just one clean sheet in six games.
Portsmouth are unbeaten in four Championship games – a run which includes two victories.
Portsmouth have conceded at least one goal in all their previous nine matches.
Correct score prediction: Bristol City 1-1 Portsmouth
Bristol City’s pursuit of the playoff places has been derailed by some dodgy results in recent weeks, including a couple of defeats to Millwall and Coventry City.
On the flip side, the Robins have won two of their last three, beating West Brom and Middlesbrough to remain within touching distance of the top six.
Sitting one spot above the relegation zone, Portsmouth may not look like much of a threat. However, Pompey are in the midst of a four-match unbeaten run, and they will be hoping to continue that trend away at Ashton Gate.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Bristol City backed to win
HOME: 3/4 (1.75) – 57.10%
DRAW: 11/4 (3.75) – 26.70%
AWAY: 17/5 (4.40) – 22.70%
*Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
As you can tell from these Bristol City vs Portsmouth odds, the bookies expect a win for the home team on Thursday night.
If you liked our predictions for this game, remember to also check our betting tips for today.
Most recent H2Hs: Few past meetings
There have only been four competitive meetings between these clubs
since 2012, with three of them coming in the Championship.
Bristol City have won the two most recent encounters, including a 1-0 win away at Portsmouth last November. Meanwhile, their last meeting at Ashton Gate ended in a dominant 3-0 win for the hosts.
England Championship 29/11/25
Portsmouth
Bristol City
England Championship 29/12/24
Bristol City
Portsmouth
England Championship 07/12/24
Portsmouth
Bristol City
Club Friendly List 29/07/23
Portsmouth
Bristol City
UK Friendlies 20/07/21
Bristol City
Portsmouth
Bristol City preview: Victory needed in playoff pursuit
If Bristol City are to build on their playoff ambitions, the Robins will need to start stringing together victories – especially against teams from lower ends of the table.
City head into this latest round of fixtures just two points adrift of the top six, but they are dealing with a host of injuries ahead of Thursday’s fixture.
Max Bird, Luke McNally, Mark Sykes, Radek Vitek and Joe Williams are all on the injury list and are not expected to feature against Portsmouth.
Predicted lineup: O’Leary (GK), Pring, Dickie, Vyner, Neto Borges, Knight, Randell, McCrorie, Mehmeti, Twine & Riis
Last five matches
Millwall 2-1 Bristol City (EFL Championship)
West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Bristol City (EFL Championship)
Bristol City 2-0 Middlesbrough (EFL Championship)
Coventry City 1-0 Bristol City (EFL Championship)
Bristol City 2-2 Leicester City (EFL Championship)
Portsmouth preview: Battle against relegation continues
Portsmouth have managed to pull themselves away from the bottom three courtesy of a tremendous four-match unbeaten run – including their epic 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic last time out.
Despite an upswing in results, Pompey are still dealing with a long injury list. As things stand, Florian Bianchini, Jacob Farrell, Josh Knight, Josh Murphy, Connor Ogilvie and Thomas Waddingham are all unavailable for selection.
Predicted lineup: Schmid (GK), Swanson, Poole, Matthews, Devlin, Pack, Dozzell, Blair, Chaplin, Lang & Bishop
Last five matches
Portsmouth 2-1 Charlton Athletic (EFL Championship)
Portsmouth 1-1 Queens Park Rangers (EFL Championship)
Derby County 1-1 Portsmouth (EFL Championship)
Portsmouth 2-1 Blackburn Rovers (EFL Championship)
Swansea City 1-0 Portsmouth (EFL Championship)
Player to watch: Anis Mehmeti
When looking for key players to watch, Anis Mehmeti should be on the very top of your list. The Bristol City forward already boasts 13 goal contributions this season, scoring seven times and assisting six.
The 24-year-old Albanian scored against West Brom on Boxing Day, and delivered a sensational individual performance in the 2-0 win over Middlesbrough just a few days prior.