Ipswich vs Sunderland prediction: Tractor Boys and Black Cats could share the spoils
Tom Clark
Ipswich lost only once at home last season, while Sunderland avoided defeat in five of their final six away league games.
Both teams scored in five of Sunderland's last six away Premier League matches and four of Ipswich's last five home league contests.
Recommended bet: Ipswich vs Sunderland: Draw @ 43/20 with LiveScore Bet
Ipswich welcome Sunderland to Portman Road on Saturday afternoon for an intriguing meeting between two sides looking to make a positive start to the new Premier League campaign.
The Tractor Boys have invested heavily this summer, spending more than £100m on new arrivals.
Gary O'Neil will take charge of his first competitive match and will be hoping that level of investment can help Ipswich establish themselves back in the top flight.
Sunderland enjoyed an excellent return to the Premier League last season, finishing seventh and securing Europa League qualification.
They have not won at Portman Road since January 2021, however, while Ipswich lost only once at home last season.
Both teams have plenty of quality, and their recent records suggest this could be a closely fought contest.
Team news
Ipswich will be led by O'Neil for the first time in a competitive match, with the summer arrivals expected to play a prominent role.
Julio Enciso joins permanently after contributing to 21 goals for Strasbourg last season, while Issa Diop, Sasa Lukic, Florentino Luís, Daizen Maeda and Emersonn have also strengthened the squad.
Azor Matusiwa is a doubt for Ipswich with a muscle injury.
Sunderland have largely retained the group that helped them finish seventh last season.
Brian Brobbey impressed during pre-season and scored in the 2-1 win over Rennes, while Enzo Le Fee remains their creator-in-chief.
The Black Cats have injury concerns over Thomas Meunier, Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete ahead of their trip to Portman Road.
The latest Ipswich Town vs Sunderland odds are available on LiveScore Bet
The Stats
Ipswich lost only once at home last season.
Sunderland avoided defeat in five of their final six away league games last term.
Both teams scored in five of Sunderland's last six away Premier League matches.
Both teams scored in four of Ipswich's last five home league games.
Brian Brobbey scored in four of his final eight away league appearances for Sunderland last season.
The last two meetings between these sides both saw both teams score.
Prediction
This looks like a difficult game to call, with both sides possessing enough quality to cause problems but neither is likely to want to take excessive risks on the opening weekend.
A solid home record gives Ipswich a strong platform, while their significant summer investment should make them competitive against a Sunderland side that enjoyed an outstanding first season back in the Premier League.
The visitors avoided defeat in five of their final six away league matches last term, while Ipswich lost only once at home in the Championship all season, making the draw an appealing option.
Both teams have also shown a tendency to find the net in these situations, so there should be chances at both ends. A closely fought contest could therefore end with the points shared at Portman Road.
Score prediction: Ipswich 1-1 Sunderland
Back the draw at 43/20 with LiveScore Bet
