Derby County vs Portsmouth Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Derby County vs Portsmouth Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Match Details: December 20th, 2025 | Pride Park | EFL Championship | 15:00 (GMT)

Pride Park plays host to a classic encounter between two storied clubs looking to find consistency in mid-December. Derby County enter the weekend as the league’s "yellow card kings," playing a combative, high-intensity style that has kept them comfortably in mid-table, though they are still searching for the clinical edge to bridge the gap to the play-off spots. They welcome a Portsmouth side buoyed by a vital 2-1 victory over Blackburn last weekend, a result that provided much-needed breathing room above the drop zone. While the Rams are the favourites on home soil, Pompey’s resilience under John Mousinho has made them a difficult nut to crack for top-half sides, setting the stage for a physical, tactical chess match where one moment of quality could decide it.

Key Betting Tip: Derby to Win at 1.95 odds (talkSPORT BET) represents excellent value based on the tip provided by our team of in-house tipsters.

Derby County vs Portsmouth Predicted Lineups

Derby County Predicted XI: Zetterstrom (GK), Langas, Sanderson, Clarke, Ward, Clark, Thompson, Forsyth, Brewster, Brereton Diaz, Agyemang

Team News: Carlton Morris, David Ozoh, Lewis Travis, and Max Johnston are all absent due to various leg injuries.

Portsmouth Predicted XI: Schmid (GK), Swanson, Bowat, Matthews, Devlin, Dozzell, Swift, Murphy, Yang, Chaplin, Lang

Team News: Thomas Waddingham, Regan Poole, Josh Knight, Conor Shaughnessy, and Connor Ogilvie are all absent with long-term injuries.

Derby County vs Portsmouth Current League Standings

Derby County find themselves comfortably in the middle of the pack, sitting in 12th place with 30 points from 21 games. They are part of a massive logjam in mid-table, where only five points separate 8th from 16th, meaning a couple of wins could catapult them toward the play-off conversation.

Portsmouth are currently fighting a different battle further down. Pompey are in 21st place with 20 points from their 20 games played. They sit just one point and one place above the relegation zone, but they do have a game in hand over Oxford below them, making this trip to Pride Park vital for keeping their heads above water.

Derby County vs Portsmouth Head-to-Head Timeline

This pair met for the first time in the FA Cup back in 1902, and they have regularly faced each other in the second division, or even the third, in recent years. Across the 103 games played between Derby and Pompey, the Rams have 43 wins, Portsmouth have 35, and there have been 25 draws. The Rams have not lost this game since 2015; however, five of the six fixtures played in the last decade have been draws.

Recent Head-to-Head Results:

• April 2025: Portsmouth 2-2 Derby County (Championship)
• December 2024: Derby County 4-0 Portsmouth (Championship)
• April 2024: Portsmouth 2-2 Derby County (League One)
• September 2023: Derby County 1-1 Portsmouth (League One)
• April 2023: Derby County 1-1 Portsmouth (League One)

Recent Derby County and Portsmouth Matches Analysis

Derby County Last 5 Matches:

• Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Derby County (Championship)
• Derby County 1-1 Millwall (Championship)
• Derby County 1-3 Leicester City (Championship)
• Middlesbrough 2-1 Derby County (Championship)
• Swansea City 1-2 Derby County (Championship)

Derby County have emerged as one of the division's most disciplined and tough-to-beat outfits in recent weeks. Their form has been upwardly mobile, built on a solid defensive foundation culminating in a dominant 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday just days ago.

Portsmouth Last 5 Matches:

• Portsmouth 2-1 Blackburn Rovers (Championship)
• Swansea City 1-0 Portsmouth (Championship)
• Portsmouth 0-1 Bristol City (Championship)
• Sheffield United 3-0 Portsmouth (Championship)
• Portsmouth 3-1 Millwall (Championship)

Portsmouth have been the definition of a rollercoaster side. They have managed to claw out vital wins against fellow strugglers to keep their heads above the relegation zone, but they remain vulnerable against the league's top-half sides. Their recent heavy loss at Bramall Lane suggests they are still searching for the tactical balance needed to compete consistently away from home.

Derby County vs Portsmouth Predictions

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with 56.7% confidence in a home win. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups.

Best Derby County vs Portsmouth Betting Tips

Football Park’s Best Bet: Derby County to Win @ 1.95 - Our team of in-house betting tipsters have predicted a Derby win in this fixture. Their superior form and head-to-head record justify confidence in this selection.

Key Players to Watch: Derby County vs Portsmouth

Patrick Agyemang (Derby County): The American forward has moved into a starting role under John Eustace and is coming off a clinical two-goal performance in Derby’s 3-0 demolition of Sheffield Wednesday on Monday. That brace took his season tally to 5 goals, but it’s his recent form that has fans excited; he has been the focal point of the Rams' attack in their last three outings, using his frame to dominate aerial duels and link play for the onrushing midfielders.

Josh Murphy (Portsmouth): While Portsmouth’s goal tally has been spread thin, Josh Murphy remains their most dangerous and reliable creative outlet. A definite starter on the wing, Murphy has contributed 5 assists and a handful of key goals this season. His pace and delivery are the primary ways Pompey transitions from defence to attack, and he will be tasked with exploiting any space left by Derby’s aggressive fullbacks.

Derby County vs Portsmouth Match Facts

Broadcast Details: This fixture will be unavailable to watch in the UK due to the 3 pm broadcast blackout.

Stadium Information: Pride Park Stadium is a centrepiece of the Pride Park business park in Derby. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997, marking the Rams' move away from the historic Baseball Ground. As one of the larger venues in the division, it has a capacity of 33,597. The stadium is renowned for its high-quality facilities and has frequently hosted England international fixtures and major concerts, standing as a symbol of the club's modern ambitions.

Referee: Farai Hallam (England)