Eng. Championship
2011-11-19 - Watford vs Portsmouth
A Sports Betting Pick by ArmchairPunter
Football – England – Championship
Saturday 19th November 2011 – Kickoff: 1500hrs
Watford and Portsmouth resume Championship hostilities after the international break and they clash at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon with both teams level on 16 points and just above the relegation places.
Watford
Watford recently won back-to-back against Peterborough United 3-2 and Brighton 1-0 to improve their home league record which now stands at 3-1-4 8/13, but their dismal away record ensures that Watford remain in the bottom quarter of the division.
In the last four meetings between these two sides, the home side has triumphed each time but I get a feeling that this trend could be disrupted this time around, but more on that later on.
In attack, the Hornets’ leading scorer is striker Marvin Sordell (4 goals, 2 assists), while midfielder Mark Yeates (2 goals, 4 assists) is the stand-out in terms of creativity; other dangerous players include Scottish international Chris Iwelumo and Craig Beattie, but they are yet to fire as they continue to get used to the Watford way.
Defensively, Watford are vulnerable which is apparent in the number of goals they’ve conceded so far at home, and have kept just the one clean sheet so far which was the recent win over Brighton.
Portsmouth
Portsmouth make the trip to London on the back of a couple of encouraging results; a 0-0 draw at in-form Crystal Palace and a resounding 3-0 success over Nottingham Forest which would have been made just that little bit sweeter given their former manager Steve Cotterill’s defection to Forest only a few days prior.
Pompey are one of those sides who enjoy their ‘backs-to-the-wall’ situations and success in the face of adversity. This break has come at an ideal time as the squad has now had the opportunity to gel further and work on game-plans etc.
Portsmouth's away record needs improving, and they still remain winless on the road, but I think that statistic will change soon; 0-3-5 6/12.
Norwegian attacking midfielder Erik Huseklepp (3 goals, 3 assists) has linked up well with striker Dave Kitson (3 goals, 1 assist), along with former Blackpool forward Luke Varney (5 goals) and ex-Ipswich Town midfielder David Norris (3 goals, 3 assists) forming an attacking side that could turn their situation around very quickly.
The Betting Verdict :
I think the margin in odds is too great in this fixture and I’m going to back Portsmouth with the round ball handicap (AH+0) as I’m confident they can spring a surprise at Watford on Saturday.
Take Portsmouth to win 2-1.
The Pick :
Watofrd 1-2 Portsmouth
BEST BETTING TIP :
Value Pick :Consider taking Portsmouth to win at 3.04 at PinnacleSports
Gooner’s Statistical Value Bet
