Odds on Portsmouth to be relegated from the Championship have shortened from 5/1, with 9/2 now the best price available after 12 bookmakers cut odds.
The odds on Portsmouth to be relegated from the Championship have been cut from 5/1 to 5/2 with BetTom, and after a flat result on the south coast the bookmakers have stopped giving John Mousinho's side the benefit of the doubt.
Portsmouth to be relegated from the Championship is now best priced at 9/2 with Bet Victor.
Preston still head the market at 8/11 with Betfair Sportsbook.
The move follows Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Southampton, settled by an early James Bree goal.
Portsmouth were already without a win in their last two league outings before the Southampton loss, having drawn 2-2 with Blackburn previously.
This one stings because Portsmouth had every opportunity to take something from St Mary's. Bree put Southampton ahead in the opening half, but Cameron Bragg's second yellow card in the 44th minute left the home side with ten men for the whole second half. Portsmouth had the ball and the extra man, and still could not find a way through. Mousinho admitted afterwards to a "sense of regret", saying his team dominated possession but lacked decisive execution and clinical quality in the final third. That is the whole story in one line: plenty of the ball, no edge in front of goal.
The back line was not at full strength either, with centre-back Conor Shaughnessy missing the derby after a groin strain picked up in training. Add a goalless run in front of goal to a squad already short at the back, and the bookmakers see a side without an obvious answer up top. That explains why the price on Portsmouth to be relegated from the Championship has come in so sharply. The cut has spread across the market, which tells you the industry has taken a hard look at this squad and does not like what it saw in the final third.
Championship Relegation odds
Best odds 9/2 with Bet Victor, worst 5/2 with Betfred, StarSportsBet, PricedUp and BetGoodWin. That is a wide spread for the same outcome, so anyone siding with the drop should shop around before committing.
Last updated: 12 October 2026, 09:34 UK time
Odds below are live and may have changed since publishing this article.
Who is favourite to be relegated from the Championship?
Preston are the favourites at a best price of 8/11 with Betfair Sportsbook, comfortably clear of the rest of the field. Bolton and Lincoln are next in the queue at 9/4, with Charlton a little further back at 11/4 with Unibet, while Portsmouth have moved into the picture after their sharp cut in the betting. They are not the bookmakers' main concern yet, but they are firmly part of the conversation now.
Preston – the clear favourites at 8/11 with Betfair Sportsbook.
Bolton – next in the market at 9/4 with Skybet.
Lincoln – level on price with Bolton at 9/4 with Paddy Power.
Portsmouth – best priced at 9/2 with Bet Victor after the cut.
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How do Portsmouth avoid being relegated from the Championship?
Simple answer: fix the finishing, and fast. Mousinho has already said his squad must urgently sharpen their attacking edge and conversion rate, and the good news is that Keshi Anderson and Marko Milovanović are back fit after muscle complaints, both coming off the bench against Southampton. Getting those two into the starting picture is the obvious way to turn possession into goals. The fixture list gives them a real opportunity to respond, with Sheffield United at home before a trip to Norwich. Our take is that the market has moved quickly on one bad afternoon in front of goal. This is a side that keeps the ball and creates pressure, so a couple of points from those outings would make the 5/2 end of the market look hasty very quickly. If they keep firing blanks, though, the bookmakers' cut will look justified and these prices will keep shortening.
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