• After being promoted from League One, Oxford came 17th in Championship last term

• Fellow new boys Portsmouth ended one point and a place above United

• Recommended bet: Portsmouth draw no bet

Many expected promoted pair Oxford and Portsmouth to fall straight back into League One last term but the duo outran their odds and avoided the drop. 

Both will be hoping for more of the same this term as they look to cement themselves as part of the Championship furniture and the pair will be eager to open on a positive note when they face off at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.

There has been little change in either camp, with Gary Rowett and John Mousinho still in their managerial positions, meaning it could be best to side with the trend of last season’s meetings and end-of-term form when they do battle this weekend.

The latest Oxford vs Portsmouth odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Team news

Przemyslaw Placheta missed Oxford’s final two friendlies and looks set to be absent alongside Ole Romeny, Ciaron Brown and loan signing Nik Prelec.

Fellow new boys Brian De Keersmaecker and Brodie Spencer should start while loanees Will Lankshear and Luke Harris will be hoping to feature in some capacity. 

Portsmouth suffered an injury crisis at the end of last season but they look set to enter the new campaign with a clean bill of health.

Their summer signings include Mark Kosznovszky, former West Brom and Reading midfielder John Swift and exciting Australian winger Adiran Segecic.

The stats

Including friendlies, Portsmouth are unbeaten in 11 games.

Both teams to score has landed in four of Pompey’s last five competitive matches.

After losing four straight road games, Portsmouth beat Norwich and drew with Sheffield Wednesday in their final two away matches of last season.

Oxford won just four of their last 18 matches last term.

Yellows defender Michal Helik has scored two goals in as many competitive games.

Pompey’s Colby Bishop ended last season by netting four goals in as many outings.

Prediction

Portsmouth ended last term with an impressive five-game unbeaten run and the momentum gained from that sequence is seemingly still lingering as Mousinho’s men also avoided defeat in pre-season.

They would have preferred to have kicked off their Championship campaign at Fratton Park as only Plymouth picked up fewer points on the road than their 14 last term, but a trip to the Kassam is far from the toughest test they could face.

Pompey won this fixture 2-0 last term to extend their unbeaten head-to-head record to seven. They have also kept hold of most of their key men, barring loanee Freddie Potts who has returned to West Ham, and a settled squad could see them earn maximum points in Oxford.

The Yellows, meanwhile, have lost key figures in Ruben Rodrigues and Alex Matos and also have a few injury concerns, leaving Rowett’s side looking a touch vulnerable against an in-form Portsmouth.

Back Portsmouth draw no bet at 23/25 with LiveScore Bet

The latest Oxford vs Portsmouth odds are available on LiveScore Bet