Ipswich vs Derby Predictions

Ipswich vs Derby predictions for this Championship fixture. Ipswich Town face Derby County at Portman Road on Saturday afternoon, with both Championship sides seeking improvement after slow starts to the season. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.

Championship | Aug 30 2025 at 3:00 pm UK at Portman Road

Ipswich vs Derby Predictions

Will Ipswich Finally Turn Their Control Into a Win Against Struggling Derby?

• pswich’s defensive wall
  • The Tractor Boys have conceded only 0.68 non-penalty expected goals per game, ranking among the very best defences in the Championship this season.
• Derby’s goal drought
  • The Rams average just 0.41 non-penalty xG per game, making them statistically the weakest attacking side in the entire division so far.
• Low-scoring trend continues
  • All three of Ipswich’s Championship matches this season have finished under 2.5 goals, reflecting both their defensive strength and lack of attacking fluency.

Best Bet for Ipswich vs Derby

Portman Road is the stage this Saturday for a clash between two sides who badly need to get moving in the Championship. Ipswich Town, after a turbulent summer of departures and arrivals, are still waiting for their first victory of the season. Two draws and a defeat don’t sound disastrous, but the Tractor Boys’ performances suggest a team searching for rhythm in the final third. A solid defensive base has kept them in games, yet a lack of attacking sharpness has left them frustrated.

Derby County’s plight looks far worse. The Rams sit second-bottom with just a single point, and the numbers behind that start make for grim reading. Their attack is producing virtually nothing of substance, while their defence is caving under pressure week after week. If Ipswich are to find the spark they’ve been missing, this feels like the perfect opportunity.

It’s not only a battle of squads and tactics; it’s a mental fight as well. Ipswich need to prove to their fans that transition won’t mean stagnation, while Derby’s players are already playing like men carrying the weight of an entire stadium on their shoulders. Expect tension, mistakes, and maybe a few groans from the crowd if Ipswich take their time breaking through.

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Best Bet for This Match

Here at BettingTips4You, we don’t throw a basket of tips at you and hope one lands. We pick just one best bet per game, carefully chosen from all the available angles, so readers can trust our work without confusion. For Ipswich vs Derby, the standout prediction is Ipswich to Win and Under 3.5 Goals.

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The logic isn’t complicated but rests on both teams’ profiles. Ipswich are rock solid at the back – one of the strongest defensive records in the division so far, with only 0.68 non-penalty xGA conceded per game. Their organisation is superb, with new arrivals like Dara O’Shea slotting in quickly. They restrict opponents to very few chances and thrive in matches that stay tight.

In attack, though, Ipswich are not yet a free-flowing machine. A non-penalty xG of just 0.75 per game shows how much they are struggling to break sides down in open play. Against Preston, they had 72% possession but lacked the cutting edge to make it count. However, Derby are conceding chances for fun – 6.7 shots on target faced per game is the worst in the Championship. Even a blunt Ipswich frontline should be able to capitalise here.

Derby’s attacking return is laughably poor for this level. A non-penalty xG of 0.41 per match is bottom of the league, and their shot creation numbers are embarrassing. If ever there was a recipe for a home clean sheet, this is it. It’s not a question of whether Derby will score – it’s more whether Ipswich can finally take their chances.

As BettingTips4You.com expert Graham Hartshorn explains:

“Ipswich don’t need to be spectacular to win this one. Their defensive control and Derby’s toothless attack point clearly to a narrow home success. Backing Ipswich to win without expecting a goal-fest feels the safest route.

Given the styles, a 2-0 home win seems the most realistic correct score. Ipswich’s defence is too well-drilled to let Derby in, while their forwards should eventually find a couple of moments to punish the visitors’ soft back line.

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