Portsmouth vs Bournemouth Betting Tips

It’s still quite amazing to think that Portsmouth were having a good time of it in the Premier League not that long ago, and it wasn’t too long ago that this fixture would have been touted as an easy match for Portsmouth.

But now they reside down in League Two, although they look poised to challenge for promotion at the moment. They sit in 5^th position with 44 points from 26 games.

Promotion to League One will certainly be high on their priority list, but an FA Cup run wouldn’t go amiss for the Pompey fans who have had to go through so much over the past ten years.

The hosts are in fairly good form at the moment. They lost against Oxford United on Saturday, but that was only their second defeat in their last 14 outings in all competitions, with seven of those 14 ending in a Portsmouth victory.

This includes a win in the FA Cup 3^rd Round over Championship side Ipswich. They managed a 2-2 draw away from home and then beat the second tier side 2-1 at home.

Bournemouth beat Birmingham City 2-1 on the road in their FA Cup 3^rd Round fixture, a result which contributes to their record of two wins, two draws, and one defeat in the last five matches.

But the newly promoted side have had a few problems this season, and as such they find themselves entwined in the beginning of a relegation battle. They sit in 16^th position with four points between them and the first of the drop spots. But they have looked good since Benik Afobe came in this January.

The relegation battle will undoubtedly take priority for Bournemouth, so it is possible we could see a slightly weakened side for this clash.

This could be a much closer match than many would expect from a fixture involving sides with two divisions between them. However, the odds on offer for a Bournemouth win look too good to turn down at 11/8, and I think there’s a lot of value in that. That’s what I’m backing along with a 2-1 win for the visitors at 17/2.