Plymouth v Portsmouth

Plymouth vs Portsmouth Preview

Tuesday night also brings us the first of two ‘Dockyard Derbies' in this season's Championship between Plymouth Argyle and Portsmouth when the two sides prepare to do battle at Home Park with both teams currently sitting in the bottom three places of the division.

Plymouth Argyle head into this upcoming clash on the back of four games without a win in the Championship which includes slipping to three defeats and gaining just one draw; losses against Cardiff City, Millwall and Leeds United have far outweighed Plymouth's minimal success of one point gained by virtue of a high-scoring 3-3 draw at home against Preston NE.

Interestingly, each of Plymouth Argyle's three recent defeats though have been inflicted upon Wayne Rooney's side on their travels, while results on home soil at Home Park have resulted in The Pilgrims picking up wins in each of their last three home games.

The west country hosts have registered recent wins against Sunderland 3-2, Luton Town 3-1 and Blackburn Rovers 2-1 respectively in their own backyard and these victories will give the hosts a welcome boost as they prepare for this midweek encounter.

The bigger picture though shows Plymouth Argyle have managed to capture just these three wins to date this season whilst also being handed seven defeats as well.

Portsmouth gained a useful point away from home at Hull City with a 1-1 draw at the MKM Stadium but the south coast club still remain in the relegation zone of the Championship table as their winless run in the second tier was extended to three games.

Although Portsmouth recorded their first win of this new Championship season and their first upon returning to the English second tier with a 2-1 win away from home at QPR, Pompey have really struggled to get to grips with the step-up in quality that exists within the Championship.

Indeed, John Mousinho's side have recorded only one win to date whilst being involved in six draws and also handed six defeats within their opening 13 league matches so far this term.

It's been 12 seasons since Portsmouth last appeared in the second flight of English football and early signs suggest the visitors are gearing up for what could be a long and tough season ahead, and one which is likely to consist of battling against relegation.

The bigger picture shows Portsmouth have managed to register just two wins in their last 16 away games at this level while losing nine games in the process.

Plymouth Argyle v Portsmouth Verdict

The goals market appeals first and foremost in this fixture as five out of Plymouth's six home games to date have resulted in both teams scoring, while six of Portsmouth's seven away games have also seen both teams score.

Plymouth Argyle have won the last two meetings at home on the trot against their opponents.

Therefore, our main bet will be BTTS Yes @ 1.61

Other side bets worth considering:

BTTS Yes & Over 2.5 goals @ 1.90

Correct Score: Plymouth Argyle win @ 2.37