Portsmouth Betting Odds

Now more than a decade out of the Premier League, after finishing rock bottom in the top flight in 09/10, Portsmouth hasn't had an easy time in the wilderness of the lower leagues.

The south coast club has faced financial oblivion twice and fell to a historic low of 16th in League Two in 2015 under caretaker manager Gary Waddock.

Two years earlier, Portsmouth had entered fan ownership, a development that would (eventually) secure the team’s future. Justifying favouritism in Portsmouth betting, former PFA chief John Mousinho guided the club to automatic promotion to the Championship last season.

On the field, Pompey scored more counter-attacking goals than any other side in League One in 23/24 but discipline was a problem. Portsmouth picked up 110 yellow cards and four red cards, the worst record in the league.

Pompey’s League One cohorts Derby County and Oxford United, who overcame Bolton Wanderers 2-0 in the play-off final, will join the side in the Championship.

The question is, can they survive?

Portsmouth Relegation Odds

Odds on Portsmouth to get relegated might surprise at the outset of the new campaign but, even if they end up as underdogs in the Championship, the role may suit them. At the tender age of 38, in his first managerial role, Mousinho is still an unknown quantity.

There’s no denying that the side impressed last season. Portsmouth only lost five games in a crowded 46-game fixture list. Their ability to snatch late goals (they earned 14 points from goals in the 80th minute or later in 23/24) makes them a contender to stay up in the early Portsmouth betting odds.

The Championship is a tough prospect. The fact that none of the three newly-promoted sides were relegated from the league last season is unlikely to be a sign of things to come, especially given early estimates of Oxford United's team.

Portsmouth's activity in the summer transfer window will naturally play a role in their survival. The team has endured disappointment already, abandoning efforts to sign Crystal Palace star Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Regaining Tino Anjorin's signature on loan from Chelsea would be a coup for Pompey.

Mousinho indicates that incumbent Northern Irish winger Gavin Whyte should be a more frequent presence at Fratton Park in the autumn, after resolving some "personal issues" back in his home country.

Portsmouth Promotion Odds

Ipswich Town, another lapsed Premier League regular, albeit from back in the early days of the competition (92/93 - 01/02) achieved back-to-back promotions from League One and the Championship, to end up in the top flight again.

While this has nothing to do with the Portsmouth FC promotion odds or even their hopes of surviving in the second tier, that particular miracle has become a pipedream for every newly promoted team. In fact, it’s hard to get away from Ipswich Town in conversations about Portsmouth.

Could Pompey follow in the footsteps of Ipswich with back-to-back promotions? It’s unlikely. The highest expectations in the press seem to be a top-half finish. Still, there’s not much to base guesses on at this point in the season so expect Portsmouth odds to fluctuate. Early odds for promotion out of the Championship focus on Leeds, Burnley, Middlesborough, and Luton - but only Oxford of the three newcomers looks doomed. Portsmouth and Derby could wind up in the lower-middle half of the league come next spring. Overall, a landmark season awaits for Portsmouth.