Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
Norwich City have just begun to emerge from a crisis following a seven-match winless streak, having secured two emphatic victories over clubs fighting for survival. While Queens Park Rangers were also supposed to be manageable, they unexpectedly suffered a heavy defeat. Travelling to face Portsmouth now poses a similar threat.
Portsmouth
Portsmouth recently netted three unanswered goals against Bristol City and scored another three against Preston North End at Fratton Park in round 15 (3:1). They have managed three matches with points and over 2.5 total goals, including a draw with Swansea City (2:2). They remain in the relegation zone, but with two games in hand, they have the chance to bridge the gap to 21st-placed Cardiff City—provided they don't fall back into a losing streak.
Norwich City
Though Norwich City lost to Queens Park Rangers (0:3), they maintained their trend of high-scoring games, four in succession now. It's no wonder Norwich City lead in the number of goals scored (35), with the league's top scorer Borja Sainz (15) in their ranks. However, being third from the bottom in goals conceded (30) doesn't reflect well on them.
Portsmouth vs Norwich City Prediction
Their last encounter was back in January 2019 in the FA Cup, ending 1:0 in Portsmouth's favour, but that low scoring outcome is just a statistic. Currently, their defensive lines are weaker than their attacking ones, so there is a significantly higher chance of a total over.
