A four-game unbeaten run has lifted Portsmouth out of relegation zone
Promotion-chasing Ipswich are without a win in two and have slipped to fourth
Recommended bet: Both teams to score
Ipswich’s promotion hopes have taken a big hit over the last two weeks as a 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United and 1-1 home draw with Preston has seen them slip to fourth in the Championship.
Kieran McKenna will be keen to get back on track in Tuesday’s trip to Fratton Park but there is a chance they are facing Portsmouth at the wrong time, with John Mousinho’s side moving out of the relegation zone following an upturn in form.
With both teams fighting at different ends of the table and plenty on the line, an exciting affair is likely to pay out on the south coast.
Team news
Portsmouth’s lengthy injury list is made up of Josh Murphy, Thomas Waddingham, Franco Umeh, Harvey Blair, Mark Kosznovszky, Hayden Matthews, Josh Knight and Conor Shaughnessy.
There is also a worry first-choice striker Colby Bishop may miss out after being forced off on Saturday while loanee Conor Chaplin is unable to face his parent club.
Full-backs Ashley Young and Conor Townsend are Ipswich’s only confirmed absentees but Jaden Philogene and Marcelino Nunez face late fitness tests.
The stats
Portsmouth have lost just two of their last 10 games.
Ipswich have managed just one win in their last six away matches.
Seven of Pompey’s last 10 fixtures have seen both teams find the net.
The same has occurred in four of the Tractor Boys' last six games.
Both teams scored in three of the last four head-to-heads.
Ipswich’s Jack Clarke has scored four goals in his last three appearances.
Prediction
Ipswich head to Fratton Park as odds-on favourites but Portsmouth’s improvement makes the Tractor Boys hard to trust at a short price.
McKenna’s men were excellent in the second half against Preston, winning the xG battle 2.55-0.64 in those 45 minutes, and a repeat of that performance would all but ensure three points on the south coast.
However, Ipswich have struggled to find that form on the road of late, winning just one of their last six away games, and this pair look well-matched on the balance of things.
The ineligibility of Conor Chaplin and potential absence of Colby Bishop does make life tougher for Pompey, but Mousinho is a top manager and there is still enough attacking threat in his squad for the hosts to play their part in a thriller.
Both teams to score has landed in seven of Portsmouth’s last 10 games, as well as four of Ipswich’s last six, and looks the smart selection.
Back both teams to score at 5/6 with LiveScore Bet
The latest Portsmouth vs Ipswich odds are available on LiveScore Bet
