Exeter vs Portsmouth betting tips: League One preview, prediction and odds

Match preview

It’s one of the biggest games of the season for both Exeter City and Portsmouth this Boxing Day with just three places in the League One table separating them after Pompey rocketed down the league table in recent months.

Portsmouth were excellent at the beginning of the season and found themselves top and unbeaten after the first eight games. Now, however, they have lost four times and won just 17 and sit down in 19th. However, quite incredibly, they have a few games in hand over clubs above them. In fact, they have three games in hand on Sheffield Wednesday in third and if they can win all those games, Pompey will bring the current 14-point gap down just five.

On the other hand, Portsmouth did lose to relegation-fighting MK Dons last time out in a 2-0 defeat at Fratton Park. Worse yet, they also lost to Wycombe Wanderers just prior to that and drew with Derby County, Morecambe Shrewsbury and Oxford United before those results, meaning the last win for the club in League One was towards the end of October against Forest Green.

Exeter are down into 13th after a winless December. Matt Taylor’s men lost to Bolton Wanderers last time out, while they also managed to draw with Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe in December too.