Portsmouth vs Birmingham Predictions, Betting Tips and Preview

Portsmouth vs Birmingham predictions and betting tips for this EFL Cup fixture on Tuesday 6th August. This match at Fratton Park has been brought forward a week, and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Portsmouth vs Birmingham Predictions

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Portsmouth vs Birmingham Preview

Pompey began this season with a narrow defeat at Shrewsbury. Kenny Jackett’s side played reasonably well for the majority of the game, but lacked some cutting edge. They saw an effort cleared off the line by Ethan Ebanks-Landell, and can probably consider them unlucky to have been on the wrong end of a Ryan Giles wonderstrike. Portsmouth need to improve their finishing. They have plenty of strikers at the club, and they are likely to rotate for this EFL Cup match. John Marquis started the game in Shropshire, but with the likes of Oliver Hawkins and Brett Pittman waiting in the wings, I’d expect Jackett to rotate his troops for this one. Ellis Harrison enjoyed a brief cameo from the bench, and he is likely to make an appearance here as well. Portsmouth weren’t as strong at Fratton Park last season, but they will want to put on a bit of a show for the fans. They haven’t won a match in this competition since 2015, and have only been victorious in the EFL Cup twice since 2010. Both victories were here at Fratton Park however. Last season, they crashed out at this stage of the tournament to strugglers AFC Wimbledon.

Read More: Get the latest football tips from Twitter for this week’s games.

Birmingham got off to the perfect start with a 1-0 victory over Brentford. The Bees began the day odds-on, and were heavily fancied to take all three points, but they couldn’t find a way past a resolute Brum defence. It wasn’t a vintage performance from Pep Clotet’s side, but he seemed pleased with his side’s display, and told reporters that they will only get stronger. Dan Crowley made a pleasing start to life in a Birmingham shirt, whilst Steve Seddon, Wes Harding and Ivan Sunjic all put in decent displays. Birmingham aren’t expected to challenge this season, but Pep Clotet showed that his side can do the dirty side of the game very well, and they should make things difficult for Pompey. Fran Villalba has been strongly linked with a move to St.Andrews, but this game is likely to come too soon for the Spaniard. Birmingham crashed out to Reading at this stage last season, and they’ve won just once on the road in the EFL Cup since beating Arsenal in 2011.

 

Portsmouth vs Birmingham Betting Tips

It’s hard to separate these two sides, and this game may not be settled inside 90 minutes. Birmingham are going to be involved in plenty of close games this season, and it’s hard to imagine many of their matches being high-scoring. This game is on Sky Sports, but it may not be a thriller. Pompey have plenty of talent, but there is the distinct possibility that Kenny Jackett needs a few weeks to find his best formation. The experienced boss did plenty of chopping and changing last season, which didn’t always lead to consistency, and that could be an issue yet again. Pompey’s dreadful record in this competition makes Brum a very tempting price here, but I’ll stick with the draw, which is available at 11/5 with William Hill.

We may see some changes in both camps, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Brett Pittman start this game. The striker is prolific, but Jackett often chooses to deploy him from the bench. He could be on penalty duty if he starts, and the Jersey-born frontman is a decent price in this contest. With another game at the weekend, Marquis could be rested, and Pittman is first in line to replace him. If he plays, the 13/5 for him to notch any time looks like great value.

 

Portsmouth vs Birmingham Anytime Goalscorer Tip

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