In this article…
Leeds v Portsmouth
📅
Kick Off: Saturday 10th August at 12:30
🏆
Competition: Championship
📺
Watch Live: Sky Sports+
Last season’s losing play-off finalists Leeds United welcome League One champions Portsmouth to Elland Road on the opening weekend of the 2024/25 Championship campaign.
It has been a testing period for the home team in the off-season, losing key players such as Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray, who departed for West Ham and Tottenham respectively in big-money deals. Still, a strong squad remains in place and one that will expect to seriously challenge for promotion once more.
Portsmouth are finally back in the English second tier after a 12-season absence and excitement has been brewing in the city for some time. Manager John Mousinho has made light work of this management game so far having only had one full season in charge at Fratton Park.
A stern test awaits when making the journey to Yorkshire this weekend but there is optimism on a count of only suffering two away league defeats in 2023/24.
The EFL is back this weekend, and Andy’s Bet Club is the place to be for all your football betting prediction needs, including Championship acca tips, EFL betting tips and our both teams to score tips across the site.
Bet builder lovers should get amongst our card betting predictions, player shots on target tips and fouls betting predictions, all of which will help you find the value across the weekend. We also aim to help you improve your own betting skills, with terminology explainers such as our xG in football guide.
Leeds v Portsmouth Best Bets
In some ways, this is a great game for Portsmouth to begin life back in the Championship given all the pressure and expectation is on Leeds. However, on the flip side, it is one of the worst matches they could have asked for.
They are taking on a team full of talent, defensively and offensively, and one that is proven at this level. The issue for Pompey is they don’t possess much individual experience in this division and that could catch them out.
It may be a long afternoon for Pompey and they may even struggle to score given Leeds’ excellent clean sheet record last season. A strong case can be made for a Leeds win to nil. Also, the -1 handicap for Leeds on Paddy Power is a standout bet given the gulf in class between these two as things stand.
Strange things can happen on the opening day but the hosts will want to lay down a marker after their play-off final heartbreak.
📂 Leeds v Portsmouth Cheat Sheet
There are so many ways to use our Cheat Sheets and we encourage you to find your own formula to pick a winning bet builder, however, if you’re unsure of how to use a Cheat Sheet, just click the link for some quick tips to help you make the most of it.
You can find even more match stats for Leeds v Portsmouth on my bet builder stats tool, along with official line-ups one hour before kick-off.
We aim to help our readers bet smarter, with curated lists of the best betting sites for accumulators and the top bet builder sites. Not only that, but we also track the top free bet offers and weekly free bet clubs, while our overall list of the best UK sports betting sites can help you squeeze even more value out of your bets.
If you enjoy this preview, make sure to check out our Leeds v Portsmouth bet builder tips to cover all bases ahead of the clash.
📊 Leeds Form and Stats
Leeds have achieved a top-three finish in each of their previous three campaigns played at Championship level. Last season, just over 23% of their regular season league goals were scored by the now exited Summerville, however, they had a total of 17 players that contributed to goals across all competitions.
A big reason the Whites contested for automatic promotion for most of the campaign was their superb defensive record. Only eventual champions Leicester City would concede fewer goals but it was Daniel Farke’s side that would lead the league in terms of clean sheets. Therefore, a Leeds win to nil has to be a bet worthy of consideration, especially facing a newly promoted team at home.
Another reason why Leeds are so strong in the English second tier is their ability to blow opponents away. They can grind out a victory if they have to, but they are just as likely to win comfortably, as proved last season. In league and play-off ties they secured all three points on 28 occasions last season and in 16 of those they would win by at least a two-goal margin. With that being the case, a price of 1.91 on Leeds to overcome a -1 handicap against Portsmouth immediately catches the eye.
Any hopes of Portsmouth getting the luxury of settling into Saturday’s match at their leisure isn’t so likely based on Leeds’ very impressive first half record in home league fixtures last season. Farke’s men had the joint-highest points return in that respective category alongside West Brom and Southampton.
📊 Portsmouth Form and Stats
In each of Portsmouth’s previous eight completed seasons, they have achieved at least 65 points and in six they recorded 70 or more. Of course, none of them were at this level, but it proves they’re a club that are used to winning. Their 28 league wins last season was their highest in any campaign since 2002/03, when they won the Championship title.
The 21 goals of striker Colby Bishop was a huge reason for their season of success in 2023/24, however, he is currently out of action as he requires heart surgery. Northern Irish winger Paddy Lane was ranked second on that list with 12 goals. He can be backed to net again this weekend at around the 6.0 mark.
Mousinho’s side may have won League One by five points and finished 10 points clear of third place, but they were ranked only third in the division based on xGF. They were only the sixth-highest scorers overall and just shy of 54% of their league victories came by a one-goal margin.
Another positive for Pompey was conceding the second-fewest number of goals during their league-winning campaign. However, the reality is that they overachieved regarding their eventual xGA figure. It would suggest that based upon those chances conceded they likely could have conceded another 15.
⚔️ Leeds v Portsmouth Head-to-Head
It has now been over 12 years since these two clubs took to the same field in a competitive match. The most recent occasion would be in February 2012, also at Championship level, in a clash at Fratton Park that resulted in a 0-0 draw. Leeds, however, would be victorious four months earlier in the last H2H contest that took place in Yorkshire when Danny Pugh netted the only goal in a 1-0 triumph.
In 2003/04, this was a Premier League match-up and in that season Pompey completed the double over their rivals, including a mammoth 6-1 home win. However, the four most recent renewals have seen Leeds enjoy the upper hand considering they have gone unbeaten (W1 D3).
Something that will afford some hope for Pompey is the fact they’re unbeaten in their opening game in each of the last four seasons, although only one of those saw them claim all three points. As for Leeds, it is just one victory over their past four opening fixtures, although that did include away defeats at Liverpool and Manchester United.
* We recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
18+ please gamble responsibly.
