Middlesbrough play host to an unbeaten Portsmouth in the Championship on Saturday and we have provided you with our predictions for the game.
Boro sit a point clear of Pompy in the league as they have won one and lost one so far but the visitors are unbeaten after playing out draws with both Leeds and Luton.
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Middlesbrough vs Portsmouth prediction: A low-scoring affair?
Key Stats
- Under 2.5 goals have been scored in five of Portsmouth's last six outings.
- Portsmouth have failed to score in three of their last four fixtures.
- Emmanuel Latte Lath scored 16 goals in the Championship last season for Boro.
Correct score prediction: Middlesbrough 1-0 Portsmouth
Three of Middlesbrough's last four matches have ended with a scoreline of 1-0, two of which were victories while Portsmouth have failed to score in three of their last four fixtures, so you can see why we're backing a 1-0 win for the hosts.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Middlesbrough the clear favourite
- HOME: 1/2 (1.50) –66.7%
- DRAW: 18/5 (4.60) – 21.7%
- AWAY: 6/1 (7.00) – 14.3%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Middlesbrough are the expected winner of this game with a probability of 66.7%, and we tend to agree with the bookmakers on this selection.
You can find all our predictions for today's games on our football betting tips page.
Most recent H2Hs: Boro just edge it
Middlesbrough have won one and drawn four of their last five head-to-heads with Portsmouth, claiming a 3-1 victory when the pair last met back in 2012.
Middlesbrough preview: Strong at the back but lacking goals
Boro fans will have been disappointed to see their side lose 1-0 at Derby County last weekend, after making a strong start to the campaign with wins in the league and cup.
A solitary goal in the 14th minute proved enough to down a Boro side that don't score a lot of goals but do have a strong defence.
Middlesbrough have kept three clean sheets in their last four matches across all competitions but have only scored five goals in their last five outings.
Tom Smith, Marcus Forss and Alex Bangura will all miss the Portsmouth game due to injury.
Predicted lineup: Dieng (GK), Ayling, Clarke, Engel, van den Berg, Azaz, Morris, Hackney, Jones, Latte Lath & Burgzorg
England Championship 31/08/24
W
Cardiff
0
Middlesbrough
2
England EFL Cup 27/08/24
L
Stoke
5
Middlesbrough
0
England Championship 24/08/24
D
Portsmouth
2
Middlesbrough
2
England Championship 17/08/24
L
Derby
1
Middlesbrough
0
England EFL Cup 14/08/24
W
Leeds
0
Middlesbrough
3
Portsmouth preview: Not easy to beat
Portsmouth would probably have taken a point before kick-off last weekend when they played host to Luton.
However, after the visitors had their goalkeeper sent off in the 31st minute, the Pompy fans will have been very disappointed not to have seen their team take full advantage as the game ended in a goalless draw.
Saturday's gusts could be without four players for the trip to the Riverside Stadium as Joshua Murphy, Regan Poole, Jacob Farrell and Tom McIntyre are all currently injured.
Predicted lineup: Norris (GK), Ogilvie, Williams, Shaughnessy, Towler, Pack, Dozzell, Lang, Silvera, Saydee & Lane
England Championship 31/08/24
L
Sunderland
3
Portsmouth
1
England Championship 24/08/24
D
Middlesbrough
2
Portsmouth
2
England Championship 17/08/24
D
Luton
0
Portsmouth
0
England EFL Cup 13/08/24
L
Millwall
1
Portsmouth
0
England Championship 10/08/24
D
Leeds
3
Portsmouth
3
Player to watch – Emmanuel Latte Lath
Emmanuel Latte Lath is already up and running for the season having scored the winning goal against Swansea on the opening day of the season.
The 25-year-old former Atalanta striker scored 18 goals in all competitions for Middlesbrough last season, 16 of which arrived in the Championship.
Can Emmanuel Latte Lath emulate his success from last season?
We're backing Latte Lath to add to his goals tally for the season with what could turn out to be the only goal of the game against Portsmouth.
