Sheffield United vs Portsmouth Prediction: Are Blades on the right track?

Sheffield United enjoyed a derby day win over Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, and Chris Wilder will be hoping his side can use that performance as a springboard for the rest of the season. 

Next up, on Wednesday, they host Portsmouth at Bramall Lane (19:45, Sky Sports+), and below you can find my Sheffield United vs Portsmouth predictions.

Team News

Sheffield United were boosted by the return of Gustavo Hamer in the derby win, although the midfielder was only fit enough to be named on the bench from the off. Patrick Bamford also made his debut from the bench but isn’t likely to be fit enough to start. 

That means Wilder could name an unchanged XI, with Callum O’Hare operating from the left of a 4-4-2. Tyrese Campbell and Danny Ings played up top in the derby win, but Tom Cannon scored off the bench so he could get a rare start. 

Meanwhile, Portsmouth also enjoyed a win, beating Millwall 3-1 at home. John Mousinho may leave Callum Lang on the bench as he returned to fitness at the weekend to play 30 minutes, while Marlon Pack and Conor Chaplin could provide good options for the manager to consider. 

Football Odds

Today's Football Fixtures

Sheffield United vs Portsmouth Odds

Sheffield United are priced at 8/11 to win this game, giving them an implied win probability of 58%. Pompey are 10/3 to take the three points while a draw is 12/5. 

Over 2.5 goals is 10/11, BTTS is 5/6 and Campbell is the 9/2 favourite to open the scoring. 

BTTS @ 5/6

I don’t trust either of these teams to keep a clean sheet - simple as that. Sheffield United got one at the weekend but it came against the worst team in the league. The Blades sit bottom of the BTTS table which is why we are getting a good price on it to come in here, even though four of their last six have seen both teams find the net. 

Portsmouth have seen BTTS come in in their last two outings, and I just think they can take advantage of a shaky back line with the likes of Josh Murphy in their attack. 

Draw @ 12/5

Was Sunday a turning point for the Blades, or just another false dawn? I like a lot of their squad but I’m still struggling to get fully on board with this version of Sheffield United, while Portsmouth are bound to provide a tougher test than Sheffield Wednesday did on Sunday. 

Pompey have struggled lately, but that win over Millwall could prove vital to their confidence and I think they can go and put in a strong performance away from home. I think the away side will pose their own threat so a draw offers good value in my eyes.  

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