Derby vs AFC Bournemouth Predictions

• Bournemouth have won six of their eight Championship away games this season (Drawn 2).
• The Cherries have kept seven straight away clean sheets in the league.
• Derby have failed to win any of their last three home league games.
• Derby have dropped to the bottom of the table after being deducted a further nine points since their last match.

Rams look ripe to be picked off by Cherries 

Derby County’s bid to survive in the Championship was dealt a major blow with the further nine-point deduction that now leaves them cut adrift at the bottom of the table on -3. What was looking a tall order two weeks ago now seems an impossible job and it’s hard to believe that won’t affect morale at the club.

Neither is it hard to believe that Bournemouth will walk out of Pride Park with the three points on Sunday as Derby’s next opponents are in possession of the joint-best away record in the entire Football League.

The Cherries have won six and drawn two of their eight road trips, keeping seven straight clean sheets, so there really shouldn’t be much reluctance to backing Scott Parker’s side to win to nil. The visitors boast the best expected goals against number in the division when away from home and the Rams rank a lowly 21st of the 24 teams in terms of quality of chances created at Pride Park.

Rams without suspended defender

Parker will be glad this game has been moved to the Sunday as it will give midfielder Jefferson Lerma a bit of extra recovery time from his World Cup qualifying action in Colombia, although he could shuffle his pack and not see his side’s chances diminish too much.

Wayne Rooney is without suspended full-back Nathan Byrne, which is likely to mean Festy Ebosele – who impressed when scoring the Rams’ goal at Millwall last time out, reverts to a defensive role.

A 2-0 result seems the likely outcome here and it has proved to be the most frequent result on Bournemouth’s away card, occurring in three of their six road wins this term.