Premier League Betting: Hull vs. Portsmouth

Hull City and Portsmouth continue to struggle in the Premier League and bookies believe the two outfits are the favourites for the drop. Hull City have done little during the early season to dispel that belief and Portsmouth’s incessant losing string just perpetuates the belief.

Soccer Betting Line:

Hull pk -125 +150 2½ O Ev U -120 Draw +225
Portsmouth pk +105 +180 2½ O Ev U -120 Draw +225

Venue: Kingston Comms Stadium
Match Time: 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday October 24, 2009

Soccer Betting Analysis: Hull City are flush off a 2:0 loss to Fulham on Monday. The Tigers went down largely without a fight, hardly creating any promising chances that could get them on the board. Hull City are 18th in the table on seven points after nine cycles. They have been slightly better at home than on the road. At Kingston Comms, they have gone 2-0-2; on their travels, they are 0-1-4.

Portsmouth gained their first few points in the league three weeks ago with a fortunate victory over Wolverhampton Wolves at the Molineux. Immediately afterwards they reverted to their losing ways. Portsmouth are at the bottom of the table on 3 points after nine cycles. They boast a five-match losing streak at home and a 1-0-3 mark on the road.

Yet, Portsmouth could jump off the foot of the table this weekend should a combination of results occur: they win over Hull City and West Ham, who are 19th on five points, lose their fixture against Arsenal (an almost certainty) on Sunday. Hull City will be mindful of their precarious spot in the table and will be looking to escape the bottom three with a win full stop.

Soccer Betting Verdict: Hull City have the worst defence in the league. In their last five matches, they conceded 14 goals! Portsmouth has the worst offence in the league right now; in their last five matches they contributed five goals – three of which came against second tier Carlisle in Carling Cup action so those goals don’t really count in the broad spectrum of league action. They only really contributed two goals to their league campaign. Therefore, which reality will emerge on Saturday? Will the offense or the defence win this battle? The popular opinion is this match will end in a draw, further evinced by the tight betting line on offer with Hull City tipped short, at +150, to Portsmouth at +180. The draw is offered at +225 and indeed is looking like the better play.

Soccer Free Picks: Draw +225 | Under 2.5 goals -120