Portsmouth vs Sheffield Utd Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper look at this Championship clash. Portsmouth, sitting 20th but with a couple of games in hand, welcome Sheffield United, who are 17th. On paper, it's a mid-to-lower table scrap, but the recent form tells a more interesting story.

Portsmouth have turned their home patch into a bit of a fortress lately. In their last five league games at home, they're unbeaten – two wins and three draws. That includes holding a very good Ipswich side to a 0-0 and sharing the points with Southampton and QPR. They're hard to beat, but they're not exactly free-scoring, netting just 10 goals in their last ten outings overall.

Sheffield United, on the other hand, are the definition of a rollercoaster. In their last ten, they've smashed three past Ipswich and Leicester, but also shipped five at Wrexham and four at home to Mansfield Town in the cup. They score plenty – 19 in ten games – but they can't keep the back door shut, conceding 18 in the same period. Crucially, they've not kept a single clean sheet in those ten matches.

That's the key for me. The Blades are involved in goal-fests. Eight of their last ten games have seen both teams score. Portsmouth, while tighter at home, have seen both teams net in four of their last six on their own turf. Even when they're not winning, Pompey are usually getting on the scoresheet at home.

The head-to-head makes for grim reading if you're a Pompey fan, with Sheffield United winning three of the last five, including a 3-0 drubbing back in November. But that was then, and this is a different Portsmouth at home now.

Key Points:

Portsmouth are unbeaten in their last five home league games (W2, D3).

Sheffield United have no clean sheets in their last ten matches in all competitions.

Both teams have scored in 80% of Sheffield United's last ten games.

Both teams have scored in four of Portsmouth's last six home games.

• The last meeting ended 3-0 to Sheffield United, but recent form suggests a tighter affair.

So, what's the bet? The bookies have Sheffield United as favourites at 2.29, but I'm not convinced they're worth backing on the road with that defence. The value, and the fun for a Saturday afternoon, lies in the goals. With the way Sheffield United play – score one, concede one – and Portsmouth's ability to find the net at home, I fancy both teams to have a nibble.

Summary: This has the feel of a 1-1 or 2-1 kind of game. Portsmouth will be stubborn, but Sheffield United's attack always carries a threat. At odds of 1.81, Both Teams to Score - Yes is the sensible play with a bit of value behind it.