West Ham are among the favourites to earn promotion to the Premier League
Portsmouth finished 18th in the Championship last season
Recommended bet: West Ham to win @ 12/25 with LiveScore Bet
West Ham take on Portsmouth in the first round of the EFL Cup at London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With both teams gearing up for the new Championship season which kicks off a week later, the clash will prove a competitive test for both sides following busy pre-season preparations.
Team News
West Ham are still without Tomas Soucek after the Czech midfielder injured his ankle at the World Cup. Forward Keiber Lamadrid is reportedly set for two to three weeks on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury against Magdeburg.
Portsmouth look set to be without a number of players for the trip to the capital. Winger Harvey Blair will be assessed after picking up a hip issue in the warm-up before the goalless draw with Darmstadt.
Marlon Pack is out following knee surgery while Josh Murphy will also be absent. Wingers Keshi Anderson and Franco Umeh are set to miss the opening weeks of the season through injury.
The latest West Ham vs Portsmouth odds are available on LiveScore Bet
The Stats
West Ham were relegated despite winning three of their last seven Premier League games.
Pompey have been knocked out in the EFL Cup first round in six of the last ten seasons.
West Ham have never won the League Cup but were runners-up in 1966 and 1981.
Portsmouth's last trip to West Ham ended in a 4-3 defeat at Upton Park in September 2011.
West Ham are back in the second tier for the first time since 2012.
The latest West Ham vs Portsmouth odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
West Ham are in the second tier for the first time in nearly 15 years and will be determined to bounce back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
A winning start against Portsmouth in the first round of the EFL Cup would be the perfect way to set the campaign up ahead of their Championship opener next week.
The pain of relegation was eased slightly when Jarrod Bowen declared his intention to stay at the club and the Hammers will be keen to go on a cup run to build the momentum needed to mount an automatic promotion push.
This will be Pompey’s third straight season in the Championship and while further consolidation will come before the EFL Cup, a victory over West Ham would give John Mousinho’s side a huge boost going into the new season.
The Hammers won three of their last seven Premier League games but it was too late to stay up. However, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side still boasts top-flight quality which should be enough to get the better of Portsmouth.
Pompey haven’t won away at West Ham since 2008, back at Upton Park, and the wait is likely to go on. Backing the Hammers to win on Saturday and advance to the second round could prove a smart move.
Score prediction: West Ham 2-0 Portsmouth
