Portsmouth and Southampton clash at Fratton Park on Sunday, with the bookies making Saints favourites to beat Pompey
Southampton’s promotion to the Championship last season meant that one of the fiercest derbies in English football would be back on the cards, with Nigel Adkins’ team making the short trip to Fratton Park on Sunday.
Portsmouth have been the club in the ascendancy in recent years, although it appears that the balance has once again shifted, with the Saints leading a promotion charge at the top of the league and Pompey struggling for points.
Southampton are favourites to win this match, with
Paddy Power offering a best price 13/10 that the visitors take all three points, although their recent away form has not been good. Defeats at Bristol City and Doncaster have prevented them kicking clear of the chasing pack, something which is a cause of frustration for Adkins.
Indeed, the Saints come into this match with just one win from their last four, although Rickie Lambert continues to score for fun as last week’s brace against Blackpool will testify.
Betfred offer odds of 11/2 that he breaks the deadlock on Sunday afternoon.
Portsmouth are 16th in the Championship table, although they boast one of the best home records in the division this season, winning six of their ten matches at Fratton Park. Michael Appleton has been in charge for a month and steered Pompey to their first away win of the season last weekend when they claimed a 1-0 victory at Burnley.
Ladbrokes offer 11/5 that the home side win this derby, something which looks a great bet considering Portsmouth can expect to receive tremendous support from their loyal fans, with Liam Lawrence and Luke Varney hoping to be fit for the game.
RECOMMENDATION: Portsmouth to beat Southampton @ 11/5 with Ladbrokes