Fresh from being crowned champions of League One, Portsmouth begin their victory lap with a clash against Wigan at Fratton Park. Pompey will be keen to finish on a high in their final home game of the season and should have the upper hand over an out of sorts Wigan side.
Portsmouth were confirmed as League One champions after a dramatic comeback win over Barnsley on Tuesday. They fell behind twice but fought back through Kusini Yengi and Colby Bishop before Conor Shaughnessy struck the winner one minute from time.
Of course, the title win also means automatic promotion as Portsmouth are returning to the Championship for the first time in 12 years. John Mousinho’s men have been near perfect in 2024 with their last defeat coming in January.
Portsmouth have been solid at Fratton Park all season and will be keen to give the fans a show in their final home fixture. They have won seven of their league eight home matches but are without a single clean sheet in that run.
Wigan are also coming off a victory as they triumphed 2-1 at Lincoln City last time out in Ligue One. Goals in each half from Jonathan Smith and Charlie Hughes were enough to earn them the win.
That was a much needed result for Wigan, who were winless in their previous four matches. Their campaign appears to be edging to an unremarkable end as they are well clear of the relegation zone while chasing little further up the table.
Wigan have also found things difficult on their travels with the win at Lincoln City their first in five League One away matches. Shaun Maloney’s men have been beaten three times in that run.
How the bookies view it
Portsmouth have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 8/13 by Paddy Power to claim the win. A victory for Wigan is valued at 5/1 by 888Sport while a draw is set at odds of 16/5 by William Hill.
Head to head
Portsmouth have a 10-6 advantage with two draws from 18 previous matches against Wigan. Pompey have also won the last two meetings and triumphed 2-1 in the reverse fixture back in September.
Players to watch
Colby Bishop has been one of the standout players for Portsmouth this season, scoring 21 League One goals so far. The forward has also found the net three times in the last two home matches and is priced at 21/20 by bet365 to maintain his scoring run.
Wigan will be keen to capitalise on Portsmouth’s vulnerable backline and will look to Stephen Humphrys to provide the spark in attack. The forward has nine League One goals this season and is priced at 15/4 by bet365 to find the net on Saturday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Portsmouth have seen over 3.5 goals in their last three home matches and a repeat is priced at 11/5 by Paddy Power. Over 2.5 goals is valued at 4/5 by William Hill while bet365 is offering odds of 10/11 on both teams to score.
Pompey are priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, so a win and over 2.5 goals is valued at 8/5 by Paddy Power.
This English League One match between Portsmouth and Wigan will be played on Apr 20, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Portsmouth vs Wigan prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
