TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR fans desperately crave some silverware and the FA Cup looks to be their only realistic chance for glory this season as they prepare to host Portsmouth in the third round.
It's now 15 years since Spurs last got their hands on a trophy and although Antonio Conte's men have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League, lifting the FA Cup looks a more likely ambition for this campaign.
Pressure had been building a little on Conte after Tottenham returned from the World Cup break with a draw at Brentford and a dismal home defeat to Aston Villa.
But they cruised to a 4-0 win at Crystal Palace in midweek to move just two points adrift of the Premier League top four and the Spurs boss will be looking to build momentum in this cup tie ahead of a huge derby with Arsenal next Sunday.
The form book suggests a comfortable win for Conte's side, with Portsmouth sitting mid-table in League One after a miserable run of results.
Danny Cowley was sacked after winning just once in their last six outings and even that victory came against League Two Stevenage in the EFL Trophy.
Their performances have been poor since a rousing 3-2 win over MK Dons in the last round of the FA Cup so Pompey will be hoping the glamour of a trip to Tottenham helps them up their game.
How the bookies view it
It's no surprise to see Portsmouth as rank outsiders and they are as big as 22/1 with William Hill. Even the draw pays 43/5 with SBK while the best price for a Tottenham win is just 2/13 at VBet.
Head to head
Pompey fans will be hoping for a repeat of their last meeting with Tottenham, a 2-0 FA Cup semi-final win at Wembley in 2010. That was Portsmouth's last season in the Premier League and two losses to Spurs contributed towards their relegation.
The overall head to head is pretty close, with 19 Tottenham wins, 15 draws and 13 Portsmouth victories.
Players to watch
With a full week to prepare for the North London derby after this cup tie, I'd expect Conte to field quite a strong team. Son Hueng-Min ended an eight-game drought with a goal in midweek and will be looking to start a scoring run. The Korean is 11/10 at Coral for anytime scorer and that looks good value if he starts.
Colby Bishop has been pretty prolific in a struggling Pompey team, netting 14 times in all competitions. He scored twice in the last round against MK Dons and is 5/1 at Unibet for a goal in London.
Anything catch the eye?
Slips Tips went for BTTS in midweek at Selhurst Park but was left frustrated as Tottenham kept a first clean sheet in 12 games. A win to nil in this one is odds-on at a best 4/5 (BoyleSports) so the handicap looks better value with Spurs -2 priced 11/10 at Paddy Power.
Portsmouth will probably defend deep in a bid to frustrate Conte's side and that makes corners another good option. Tottenham -5 in the corner handicap is 21/20 at Bet365 while Unibet price over 7.5 Spurs corners at evens.
Cards could be profitable as well with Portsmouth likely to be under pressure throughout. Midfielder Owen Dale has four yellows from his last seven outings and looks overpriced at 13/2 with Bet365 for a card here.
This FA Cup match between Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth will be played on Jan 7, 2023 and kick off at 12:30. Check below for our tipsters best Tottenham Hotspur vs Portsmouth prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
