Oxford vs Portsmouth predictions: U's can maintain strong home form
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- Oxford have scored one goal in their last four Championship games
- Portsmouth have only won one league game away from home this season
- Recommended bet: Oxford to win
Oxford have done a great job in beating the teams around them as they look to drag themselves away from Championship relegation trouble, especially at home.
Therefore, they will be confident they can see off another struggler at the Kassam Stadium when they host Portsmouth on Saturday.
Pompey head north having improved after a poor start following promotion, but their away form is dreadful and this looks like another tough assignment against Gary Rowett’s improving U's side.
Team news
The game looks to have come too early for home skipper Elliott Moore, even though he is back in training after a thigh injury, while Ben Nelson may not return to his loan from Leicester after suffering a similar issue in November.
Portsmouth are set to welcome Regan Poole back from a hamstring injury after 14 games out, but Jordan Williams is still missing and Ibame Bowat, Jacob Farrell and Paddy Lane have been ruled out for the rest of the season.
The stats
There have been at least three goals in 22 of Portsmouth’s 32 Championship games this season.
Both teams have scored in six of Oxford’s last eight home league games.
Portsmouth have lost their last seven away Championship matches, while Pompey have conceded at least twice in seven of their last eight league outings on the road.
Oxford have taken 13 points from their last five Championship games at the Kassam Stadium.
Prediction
Portsmouth have established a four-point gap between themselves and the bottom three in the Championship, but they have lost their last seven away matches and look vulnerable against Oxford on Saturday.
John Mousinho’s side have claimed just one win on the road in the second tier this term and have failed to score in six of the last 10 on their travels, including a 2-0 loss at League One promotion hopefuls Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup.
They would love to drag themselves away from trouble in the same way the U's have managed in the last couple of months under new manager Rowett.
United were disappointed not to have seen off Bristol City in their last home game as their guests finished with nine players and were forced to play short-handed for almost an hour of their 1-1 draw.
However, that match followed four straight home wins for the U’s, which included a morale-boosting success over play-off-chasing Blackburn Rovers.
The other three successes came against Cardiff, Plymouth and Luton, all of whom started the week in the bottom five, with the hosts capable of putting another struggler to the sword in this Saturday lunchtime kick-off.
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