Walsall v Portsmouth: More Pompey misery in store
Published:Portsmouth’s living nightmare is showing no signs of ceasing and, given the way they’re going at the moment, fans at Fratton Park can look forward to League Two football next season, if any at all.
They haven’t won a game in 12 league attempts and are massively unfancied to end their dreadful run when they visit Walsall, as their 16/5 match betting price indicates. In a league where shock results are a common occurrence (see Sheffield United’s recent clash with Hartlepool), this price exemplifies just how poor Pompey have been of late.
The Saddlers are in good touch with three victories in their last four after coming off the back of a 16-game winless run. This means they will fancy their chances of justifying the 4/5 favouritism bestowed upon them ahead of this clash with a hapless Portsmouth side who find themselves in a right state.
They could only name four subs for their 5-0 drubbing at Swindon last time out and a repeat result at the Bescot Stadium is not out of the question, despite what its nosebleed-inducing 66/1 price would have you believe.
A repeat of the 2-1 win Walsall enjoyed when the sides met earlier in the season can be backed at a more down to earth 7/1, though the beleaguered visitors have failed to notch in six of their last 11 so something along the lines of a 3-0 home win offers appeal at 14/1.
A bet with more concrete potential for copping is the 4/5 that says there’ll be more than 2.5 goals scored in this match.
This is an exceptionally generous price given that five of Pompey’s last seven outings have seen the total number of goals surpass this mark, as have four of Walsall’s last six.
Another good looking prospect is the 7/4 available for Portsmouth to score more goals in the second half as opposed the first. Finding the back of the net at all will be a big enough ask for 2008 FA Cup winners, but five of the previous six goals they have managed (which has taken them seven games) were all scored after the break and it’s worth having a punt on this trend continuing here.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
