One expected to lose (8)
I believe the answer is:
underdog
'one expected to lose' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for underdog that I've seen before include "Competitor expected to lose" , "One with little status" , "Contestant who's not expected to win" , "One of low status" , "One at a disadvantage" .)