New boss Regis Le Bris has got off to a flier at Sunderland and his side sit at the Championship summit heading into their fourth game against promoted Portsmouth.
Few fans could have imagined the Frenchman getting off to such an impressive start, with his side yet to concede a goal across their games with Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley.
Our man Gavin reckons the Black Cats could be worth a punt at 14/1 to win the title and if they can rack up another three points at Fratton Park it will only bolster that belief.
Portsmouth are back in the second tier after a 12-year absence and a 3-3 draw at title favourites Leeds on day one showed that John Mousinho's men mean business.
They've collected two more points since then, including a 2-2 draw last time out at Middlesbrough that bust my coupon, so Sunderland will need to play well to keep their perfect league record going.
How the bookies view it: Black Cats are purring
After three successive wins in the league, Sunderland are Betfred's 10/11 favourites here. Portsmouth look overpriced at 5/2 while a fourth successive Championship stalemate for them pays 12/5.
Recent head to head: Old rivalry renewed
These sides were League One promotion rivals for a few seasons and the fixture was always keenly contested. The last 11 meetings have produced four wins apiece and three draws. Pompey romped to a 4-0 victory when Sunderland last came calling in 2021.
Players to watch: Onward Christian soldier
Christian Saydee heads into this game with his confidence high after scoring a double in the draw at Middlesbrough. The forward is 16/5 for anytime scorer in this one and that looks overpriced.
With Sunderland selling Jack Clarke to Ipswich, they will need to lean on Partick Roberts for a creative spark. The former Celtic winger is 100/30 to break his duck for the season but an assist is more likely once that market is priced up.
Probable line-ups
Conor Shaughnessy could return for Portsmouth but Regan Poole, Tom McIntyre, Jacob Farrell, Tom Lowery, Josh Murphy and Colby Bishop look set to miss out again. Aji Alese is crocked for Sunderland but Wilson Isidor is set to return to the squad. Dan Neil is suspended after his red card against Burnley.
Portsmouth: Norris, Williams, Ogilvie, Towler, Swanson, Pack, Sorensen, Dozzell, Lane, Lang, Saydee.
Sunderland: Patterson, Cirkin, O'Nien, Hume, Ballard, Browne, Bellingham, Roberts, Rigg, Mundle, Mayenda.
Anything else catch the eye?
While Sunderland have yet to concede in the league, Portsmouth have been scoring pretty freely so I'm tempted to back goals at both ends here. BTTS is just 8/11 at Betfred but over 2.5 goals is better at 10/11. Combining those picks will take you to 11/10 in a bet builder.
Portsmouth's home games this term are averaging over 11 corners so there could also be a bit of value in backing over 10 flag kicks at 11/10 with Bet365.
Luke O'Nien picked up a yellow and a red in games against Pompey when these sides were battling it out in League One. The Sunderland stalwart is 5/2 to go into the book here while a red card for any player is priced at 100/30 by Betfred.
This England Championship match between Portsmouth and Sunderland will be played on Aug 31, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Portsmouth vs Sunderland prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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