Portsmouth v Derby predictions: Pompey can prevail at fortress Fratton Park

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Portsmouth v Derby in League One on Friday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Football & Main Event, 8pm Friday

Best bet

Portsmouth
1pt 11-8 general

Team news

Portsmouth
Joe Morrell is at the World Cup. Louis Thompson and Jayden Reid are long-term crocks while Michael Jacobs has a hamstring problem.

Derby
Centre-back James Chester and Curtis Davies are out, so too Jason Knight. Haydon Roberts and Tom Barkhuizen are doubts.

Match preview

There is a stutter rather than a swagger about League One big fish Portsmouth and Derby County at the moment which suggests their showdown at Fratton Park could well be a close-fought affair.

The greater workload of the Rams would seem to give Pompey an edge, although that is not the only factor in the home side's favour.

Their record at fortress Fratton Park, where they are unbeaten in 20 matches stretching back to the end of January, illustrates the size of the task facing Paul Warne's weary visitors.

But neither side is flying at the moment as they struggle to keep tabs on Plymouth, Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday, the trio striding clear at the top of the table.

And four of Portsmouth's last five matches have ended in 1-1 draws, further proof that they are struggling to put sides to bed.

It's fifth versus sixth and, with Danny Cowley's hosts having had a week off, they are still just about preferred.

Derby's away form and their injury problems in a key area combine to make Warne's men awkward to fancy.

Their away record is symmetrical enough – played nine, with three wins, three draws, three losses.

But they have visited only two teams in the top half, Charlton and Ipswich, and lost 1-0 on both occasions. Those are two of five road trips on which they have failed to find the net.

Derby are unbeaten in seven but two of those assignments were cup ties against National League strugglers Torquay and injuries are starting to be a concern for what is still a smallish squad, a legacy of a past crisis.

The major absentees are veteran central defenders James Chester and Curtis Davies, both still hugely influential and seriously useful at the level they play.

And any weaknesses at the back should be exploited by Pompey whose midfield, helmed by the outstanding Marlon Pack, will create chances for striker Colby Bishop, who has already notched 11 times this term.

Portsmouth are unbeaten in six and have lost only twice all season in the league. And Fratton Park, as their record shows, is a proper football theatre where Pompey excel but opponents can wilt.