Cardiff City v Portsmouth Betting Tip 1 – 21 January 2012

Championship Tips

Cardiff play the second leg of their League Cup tie during next midweek but it’s league business first when Portsmouth come to town looking for points.

Malky MacKay surely will not let his player’s attention turn to Wednesday’s match against Crystal Palace considering the position his side find themselves at the moment in the Championship. Sitting third and just four points off the top two; there is a lot to play for as the Bluebirds aim for a promotion that has thus far eluded them. Just one defeat in 14 league games has shot them into automatic promotion contention and it’s definitely something that they will continue to strive for despite being 90 minutes away from a final at Wembley. Last weekend’s draw against a struggling Doncaster side may not have been the most wanted result for all concerned with the Welsh side but it may turn out to be a valuable point considering they put a lot of effort into the first leg of their league cup tip.

Portsmouth have been solid if unspectacular since Michael Appleton took charge which is probably why they have remained in the lower half of the table. They are not in any major threat of relegation at the moment and have virtually no chance of getting into the promotion shake-up so it’s all about getting as many points as they can to eliminate any lingering threat of being pulled into the relegation picture. With just one away win in the league all season it’s not exactly hard to work out where they need to improve if they do wish to climb the table. They are far stronger when playing at home and are becoming a little bit of a soft touch on their travels this season. Things have picked up recently with one win and two draws from their last five away games. Tomorrow’s game represents a stiff task however and their recent improvement will be tested.

Cardiff have been extremely impressive at home this season and not many teams leave Wales with much else other than their tails between their legs. Two defeats at home all season, just once since the first match of the season, means they have one of the best home records in the division. Matches like tomorrow become even more significant as the promotion chase really begins to get going now we are well into the New Year.

Portsmouth have an incredibly good record when playing Cardiff away from home. Before last season’s comprehensive defeat they had went five games unbeaten in this particular fixture winning four of them. Appleton will be hoping that they can rediscover some of that form ahead of tomorrow’s game.

Cardiff were unlucky against both Middleborough and Crystal Palace, their only two defeats in recent months. A thumping 3-1 over promotion rivals Reading in their last home match proved that they are still very much on the up and they can continue that tomorrow.

My Selection: Cardiff to beat Portsmouth

Best odds available: 5/6 available with William Hill