Portsmouth News

Pompey see their title and promotion odds slashed

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Confidence

is not only growing in Pompey’s ability to clinch promotion this season – but also the League One title.

That’s according to the latest odds from the bookies, with Kenny Jackett’s side highly-fancied to end their wait for a return to the Championsh­ip in style!

The Blues have gone eight full seasons without occupying a place in the second tier.

They’ve come agonisingl­y close over the past two campaigns – only to be thwarted in the play-offs.

But this could finally be their year if the latest markets are anything to go by. Indeed, it appears plenty of fans have been lumping their money on Pompey in recent weeks, after overcoming a below-par start to the 2020-21 season.

At the end of September, following a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Wigan, the Blues were 21st in the table without a league victory. As a result, they were 14/1 outsiders to win the title with SkyBet and

7/2 to secure promotion

– well behind the likes of

Sunderland, Ipswich, Hull, Peterborou­gh and Lincoln.

But fast forward to the present day, where the fourth-placed Blues now have eight wins in the division, and the picture is much rosier.

Pompey are now overwhelmi­ng second favourites, behind leaders Hull, to secure the League One crown at the end of the campaign and hotly-tipped to win promotion even if the top prize passes them by.

In the race for the title, SkyBet now has Jackett’s side at 9/2, which represents a massive shift.

Hull are the favourites at 13/8, but there’s no doubt fans are taking note of the Blues’ recent resurgence and, in particular, Saturday’s 2-0 win over promotion rivals Peterborou­gh.

Bet365 even had Pompey’s odds out as far as 16/1 at the end of September, but they too have been forced to re-evaluate, with the Fratton Park side now at 11/2 with them to win the league.

If the Blues are right up there when it comes to talk of the title, then, naturally, they’re high up the equation when it comes to promotion as well.

11/10, in fact, with SkyBet, who are also offering odds of 8/13 for Hull, 3/2 for Lincoln, 15/8 for Sunderland, 9/4 for Peterborou­gh, 7/2 for Charlton and 11/2 for Ipswich.

Again, that represents growing market confidence in Jackett’s side, who have tough games against Ipswich, Fleetwood and Hull coming up between now and December 18.

Those matches will test growing confidence in the team’s capabiliti­es.

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