Charlton vs Portsmouth Prediction - 17th February 2026

Charlton play host to a crucial Championship relegation six-pointer on Tuesday evening as Nathan Jason Jones' side welcome John Michael Lewis Mousinho's Portsmouth. With just six points separating these sides in the lower reaches of the table, the stakes couldn't be higher, yet the underlying data points firmly toward a home advantage that Charlton look well-positioned to exploit. Charlton enter this fixture in 18th place with 39 points from 31 games, but the trajectory is encouraging. Jones' side are currently enjoying an improving trend across all key metrics—goals scored, goals conceded, and points accumulated—with their last three league outings yielding seven points from nine available. That sequence includes a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Stoke City, a resilient goalless draw against QPR, and an impressive 2-0 away win at Leicester. While the 4-0 drubbing at Millwall and the 5-1 FA Cup capitulation to Chelsea remain fresh in the memory, the overall direction of travel is positive, particularly at home where they've lost just once in their last six (33.33% win rate). The statistical profile of this contest heavily favours the hosts when we examine Portsmouth's alarming away record. The visitors sit 21st with 33 points and are currently mired in declining performance trends across goals and points. More concerning for Mousinho is their anaemic attacking output on the road—just 0.50 goals per game across their last four away fixtures, with a 25% win rate and 50% loss rate in that sample. Their recent results make for grim reading: back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Sheffield United and Preston, preceded by a goalless home draw against Ipswich. While they did manage a 3-0 thumping of West Brom in late January, that form hasn't travelled, and they arrive with only three days' rest compared to Charlton's six—a significant fatigue disadvantage given they've played three matches in the last fortnight versus the hosts' two. The head-to-head record offers further encouragement for Charlton backers. Despite losing the reverse fixture 2-1 at Portsmouth on December 29th, Charlton boast a formidable home record against Mousinho's side, winning two and drawing two of their last five home encounters (40% win rate). Historically, these fixtures tend to be tight affairs—seven of the last nine meetings have gone over 2.5 goals—but the current goal expectancy models paint a different picture for this specific matchup, projecting Charlton at 1.29 expected goals and Portsmouth at just 0.92. When we factor in Portsmouth's finishing struggles (underperforming expected goals by -0.40 over the last ten games) and their inability to generate meaningful away pressure (just 2.25 shots on target per game on the road versus Charlton's 3.67 at home), the value becomes clear. The market has Charlton priced at 2.50, which implies a 40% win probability, but given the rest advantage, home form, and Portsmouth's chronic away-day attacking issues, the true probability sits closer to 45%. Key Points: • Charlton are on an improving trend with 7 points from their last 3 league games (W-D-W) • Portsmouth have lost their last 2 matches and are on declining performance trends • Portsmouth have scored just 0.50 goals per game in their last 4 away fixtures • Charlton have 6 days rest vs Portsmouth's 3 days, with Portsmouth playing 3 games in 14 days • Charlton boast a 40% home win rate against Portsmouth historically (2W-2D-1L) • Goal expectancy models project a low-scoring affair (2.21 total goals) Summary: The data convergence here is compelling. Charlton's improving trajectory, superior rest, and home advantage against a Portsmouth side that can't buy a goal away from home creates a clear betting edge. At 2.50, the home win represents genuine value in a fixture where the visitors' fatigue and attacking impotence should prove decisive factors.