Looking to continue his fine form in the EFL, Joe Rindl has the best bets and preview as Portsmouth host Sunderland in League One.
Football betting tips: Portsmouth v Sunderland
1pt Sunderland to win at 9/5 (SBK)
1pt Charlie Wyke to score anytime 43/20 (Unibet)
It’s Sky Bet League One’s biggest game of the season so far. In fact, if both these sides were in the Championship, it would be one of the biggest game in that division too.
Sunderland and Portsmouth are massive clubs and yet their omission from the Premier League is approaching four years for the Black Cats and incredibly 11 for Pompey.
League One is a notoriously difficult division to get out of. Now it’s populated with historic teams; Hull, Charlton, Ipswich, Blackpool and Wigan have also played in the top flight in the last two decades.
Promotion to the Championship at a fourth time of asking for Portsmouth and a third for Sunderland is in no way a given, with neither in an automatic promotion place, sitting sixth and fourth in the table respectively.
Is Lee Johnson turning Sunderland around?
The momentum is surely with the visitors for this fixture. Lee Johnson’s side have only lost once in 13 games and have won four out of their last five in the league.
Sure the visitors are five points off Lincoln in second, but they’re a healthy seven clear of in-form Accrington in seventh and a win on Tuesday night - with 14 games left to play - will help them inch closer to securing a top-six finish.
Portsmouth on the other hand are a team in free-fall.
Kenny Jackett’s men were stunned 4-1 by struggling Northampton and have won just one of their last five league games.
The two-time FA Cup winners are clinging on to the final play-off spot and their 3-1 win away to Sunderland back in October feels like an age ago.
Should I back Portsmouth or Sunderland?
With the visitors in such good form I am shocked to see SUNDERLAND TO WIN at 9/5 with SBK. The Black Cats must surely be overwhelming favourites given their superiority in the league table and their recent winning run. Instead they're only a smidge under 2/1 to win outright.
All the stats are pointing towards a Pompey loss. Six goals conceded against Doncaster and Northampton in their past two shows just how leaky they are at the back.
While Sunderland have scored at least once in each of their last 14 games, keeping five clean sheets in the eight away games since Johnson took the helm.
As for the goalscorer markets, Sunderland's Charlie Wyke has been in fine form this campaign, netting 25 goals in 38 appearances, including ten in his last 11 games.
WYKE AS AN ANYTIME GOALSCORER seems a steal at 43/20 with Unibet considering he’s scored over 40% of Sunderland’s goals this season.
Portsmouth v Sunderland score prediction and best bets
- 1pt Sunderland to win with SBK 9/5 (SBK)
- 1pt Charlie Wyke to score anytime 43/20 (Unibet)
Score prediction: Portsmouth 1-2 Sunderland (Sky Bet odds: 17/2)
Odds correct at 1300 GMT on 08/03/21
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