Portsmouth will take on Sunderland on Saturday, 31 August in a match that will see two undefeated sides go head to head at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth have done well since their return to the Championship, drawing all three of their opening matches but will now feel it's time to get a win on the board.
It's not going to be easy, though, as Sunderland are one of two teams who still boast a 100% record in the Championship with the Black Cats more determined than ever to get involved in a promotion race.
As part of our latest round of Championship betting tips, here is our Portsmouth vs Sunderland prediction.
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Portsmouth vs Sunderland prediction: Black Cats to keep on rolling
Key stats
- Sunderland won their previous away match in the Championship 2-0 against Cardiff City.
- Portsmouth have failed to score a goal at Fratton Park so far this season.
- Sunderland have kept a clean sheet in all three of their Championship matches so far this season.
Correct score prediction: Portsmouth 0-2 Sunderland
Sunderland are the team in the Championship that nobody wants to face at the moment and Portsmouth have their work cut out on Saturday. Pompey are yet to win or even score a goal in front of their fans this season and that is unlikely to change against a team who haven't even looked like conceding a goal yet.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Portsmouth are the underdogs
- Home: 13/5 (3.60) – 27.8%
- Draw: 5/2 (3.50) – 28.6%
- Away: 1/1 (2.00) – 50%
The Portsmouth vs Sunderland odds have determined that Sunderland are the favourites for this match but the bookies aren't overly confident. Ladbrokes have priced a Sunderland win at 1/1 while a win for Portsmouth has been priced at 13/5. The draw, which wouldn't exactly be a shock given Portsmouth's start to the season, has been priced at 5/2.
For more football predictions, check out our free betting tips for today page.
Most recent H2Hs: Honours even
These two teams have enjoyed some titanic tussles in League One in recent years and will now renew their rivalry in the Championship. In truth, there is very little to split them on the recent head-to-head with Sunderland winning two of the last five encounters and Portsmouth winning three.
Draws are a rarity in this fixture, with just one of the last eight matches between these two clubs ending all square.
England League 1 22/01/22
Sunderland
Portsmouth
England League 1 02/10/21
Portsmouth
Sunderland
England League 1 09/03/21
Portsmouth
Sunderland
England League 1 24/10/20
Sunderland
Portsmouth
England League 1 01/02/20
Portsmouth
Sunderland
Portsmouth preview: A matter of perspective
A positive Portsmouth fan would say that the club have started the season well and point to the fact they are unbeaten in the Championship while a pessimistic one would claim that it hasn't been great and that they are winless. This is what Portsmouth are currently grappling with which makes the next result the most important one.
Predicted lineup: Norris (GK), Swanson, Williams, Towler, Ogilvie, Pack, Dozzell, Lang, Lane, Sørensen & Saydee.
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
Sunderland preview: Time to dream again?
Sunderland's fall from grace over the past ten years has been well-documented, not least on Netflix. However, is it finally time for their fans to start dreaming of the big time again? While the loss of Jack Clarke is a blow, the Black Cats will still feel they have enough to mount a serious promotion charge from the position they are in.
Predicted lineup: Patterson (GK), Hume, O'Nien, Alese, Cirkin, Bellingham, Browne, Roberts, Rigg, Mundle & Mayenda
England Championship 31/08/24
W
Portsmouth
1
Sunderland
3
England Championship 24/08/24
W
Burnley
0
Sunderland
1
England Championship 18/08/24
W
Sheff Wed
0
Sunderland
4
England EFL Cup 13/08/24
L
Preston
2
Sunderland
0
England Championship 10/08/24
W
Cardiff
0
Sunderland
2
Player to watch: Eliezer Mayenda
There is plenty of excitement in the air at Sunderland at the moment and a lot of is around teenage striker, Eliezer Mayenda. The Spaniard has excelled in the limelight so far this season and he is expected to lead the line for the Black Cats at Fratton Park on Saturday.
While Mayenda has played well all three of Sunderland's league games so far, his best performance came against Sheffield Wednesday. The 19-year-old score twice as Sunderland downed the Owls 4-0.
