Portsmouth vs Watford Prediction: Fratton Park stalemate in store

Portsmouth and Watford have made identical starts to the EFL Championship season, with neither side likely to be pleased after managing just two wins each in seven games. They head for Fratton Park on Wednesday (20:00 BST, Sky Sports+) looking to grab three points that would help either side climb towards the top half of the table.

Below are my Portsmouth vs Watford predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this clash on the South Coast.

Team News

Pompey are missing the likes of Nicolas Schmid, Conor Shaughnessy, Callum Lang, Franco Umeh and Thomas Waddingham, while Josh Murphy has missed two games with an ankle problem and remains a doubt.

Conor Chaplin sat out the weekend clash with his parent club Ipswich and could return to the starting side.

Football Odds

Watford goalkeeper Egil Selvik missed their weekend win over Hull owing to concussion protocol and will need to be assessed again.

Jack Grieves and Giorgi Chakvetadze are absentees for the visitors, while Kwadwo Baah and Pierre Dwomoh are rated doubtful.

Today's Football Fixtures

Portsmouth vs Watford Odds

Portsmouth are 6/5 favourites to make the most of home advantage with a win, while visiting Watford are priced at 12/5, or a 29.4% chance, and the draw trades at 9/4.

Both teams to score at Fratton Park is a 4/5 shot, while over 2.5 goals shows at 11/10.

Correct score 1-1 @ 11/2

The draw looks a likely outcome and, given the common lack of goals these sides share, a 1-1 stalemate looks a fairly solid option.

Pompey managed just one goal and one point from three league games in the month of September.

Watford started and ended the month well, with a draw at Southampton and a come-from-behind win at home against Hull, but suffered losses against Blackburn and Millwall in between, unable to trouble the scoreboard in either instance.

With just a single win each in their last five league games, confidence is hardly oozing, and a low-scoring draw could be the outcome now.

Under 2.5 goals @ 8/11

This is unlikely to be a goalfest at Fratton Park, where five of Portsmouth's last seven in the league have gone under 2.5 goals.

Pompey have failed to score more than one goal in any of their eight competitive matches this season so far, and boss John Mousinho will be acutely aware that deficiency could ultimately be costly.

Watford, meanwhile, have scored just one goal in three games on the road in the Championship so far, that coming from teenager Nestory Irankunda in the draw at Swansea in August. This could be an attritional evening on the south coast.

Offers

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