West Ham travel to Portsmouth for their first competitive fixtures of the 2026/27 campaign, but before the two start their Championship seasons they face-off in the first round of the EFL Cup.Betfred have £50 in free bets for new customers who bet £10 on the football!Betfred Betting OfferHow to claim EFL Cup £50 free betsOffer: Bet £10 get £50 in free bets on the football!Eligibility: New customers only.Steps: Sign up as a new customer to Betfred using this link. Deposit £10 within 7 days. Place first bet of £10 or more on qualifying sportsbook markets, at odds of Evens (2.0+).Rules: Only first valid bet will count. If your account is set to euros you will need to deposit and bet €10 to qualify. £50 in free bets will be credited within 24 hours. T&C’s apply.West Ham vs Portsmouth betting angleWest Ham are the clear favourites having just gone down into the Championship from the Premier League after a nail-biting relegation battle between them and fellow Londoners Tottenham.A couple of losses ahead of the final game however, sealed their fate and left them with too much to do in the final game even with a win, relying on Tottenham to lose heavily to avoid the drop.But they’ve retained plenty of top quality players that will be hungry to do well this season to not only get them back into the top-flight but also do well in the early stages of the domestic cup competitions.Pompey will be a tough side to face though, who knows what West Ham’s starting XI will be, so they will be up against it but ready to take on the London side.Portsmouth will have been in the Championship for three seasons but so far have struggled to get higher than 16th.West Ham are favoured to win the whole thing and look worthy favourites here.How to watch West Ham vs PortsmouthLocation: London Stadium, London, England.Date & Time: 3pm Saturday 8th August 2026.TV Channel: Sky Sports.Remember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – www.gamcare.org.ukFind our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply.