Portsmouth v Sunderland predictions: Surging Black Cats can topple Pompey

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

Where to watch

Sky Sports Football, 7.45pm Tuesday

Best bet

Sunderland draw no bet
1pt 10-11 Betfred

Team news

Portsmouth
Callum Johnson (calf), Alex Bass (leg) and Haji Mnoga (groin) are ruled out but Michael Jacobs (hamstring) could return to the squad.

Sunderland
Arbenit Xhemajli and Jordan Willis (both knee) are out long-term and Grant Leadbitter (shoulder), Tom Flanagan (hip), Bailey Wright (calf), Conor McLaughlin (hernia) and Denver Hume (hamstring) remain sidelined. Lynden Gooch (calf) is a doubt.

Match preview

Sunderland have been playing League One football for the best part of three seasons but they can enhance their promotion prospects by beating Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

The Black Cats have surged back into form, taking 16 points from their last six games to boost their hopes of climbing out of the third tier.

Supporters are hopeful of a bright new era under 23-year-old owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, who acquired a majority stake in the club last month.

However, the takeover came too late to allow an influx of new signings this season and the onus has been on manager Lee Johnson to get better results from a squad who had underperformed prior to his appointment in December.

One of the first decisions Johnson made was to bring Aiden McGeady back in from the cold and the experienced 34-year-old winger, formerly of Celtic, Spartak Moscow and Everton, has been instrumental in the team's rise to fourth in the table.

McGeady's quality deliveries have been feasted upon by powerful centre-forward Charlie Wyke, who has bagged 20 league goals this season.

Wyke's heading ability is probably the best of any League One centre-forward and an obvious danger to sixth-placed Portsmouth, who conceded two goals from corners in Saturday's dismal 4-1 loss at Northampton.

Pompey's weekend defeat extended their winless sequence to three and left them just two points inside the playoff positions.

A top -six finish is seen as a minimum requirement by the club's fans but it looks far from guaranteed and another poor result looks likely against a resurgent Sunderland side chasing a sixth win in seven league games.

Key stat

Sunderland have won five of their last six league games.

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