Southampton F.C. vs West Bromwich Albion Preview
In the Sky Bet Championship, Southampton host West Bromwich Albion in an important game. One point separates the two sides battling it out for fifth and sixth of the league table. Southampton, who is unbeaten in seven league games, hopes to close the gap to runaway league leaders Leicester City. West Brom has three wins in their last three games, making this match on Saturday, November 11 at 3:00 PM, as vital as ever.
The game will take place at St Mary’s Stadium, a fantastic soccer venue with a capacity of 32,384. Looking at the previous games for both sides, Southampton edged out a close 1-0 win against Millwall. West Brom was a worthy winner against Hull, scoring two late goals to take the game away from the Tigers. With two-thirds of the season left to be played, it’s too early to think about playoff chances. But a win for either side will help keep them ahead of the chasing pack.
Southampton F.C. vs West Bromwich Albion Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The two sides have met 81 times since 1900, with the last meeting occurring in the Premier League in 2021. Southampton vs West Bromwich Albion has not happened in the Championship since a 1-1 draw in 2008. In those 81 fixtures, West Brom has won 25 times, Southampton has won 32 times, and there have been 24 draws. In the last five meetings, Southampton has won on four occasions.
The most recent matchup between the two sides was a 3-0 thumping by West Brom at home. However, that is when West Brom had big Sam Allardyce at the wheel, and Ralph Hasenhüttl managed Southampton. Unsurprisingly, both teams have changed a lot since the game two years ago. Southampton only had four of the same players appear at Millwall last weekend who also played a part against West Brom in the Prem. Five players for the Baggies played against Hull in November 2023 and Southampton in 2021.
The teams have been a division apart for several seasons, meaning there are few recent meetings between the clubs. Since the 2015-16 season, the sides have met eight times in the league and once in the FA Cup. Across the fixtures, Southampton has won six times and West Brom has picked up three points twice. The other game was a 0-0 draw on September 12, 2015, the last time the two sides drew this fixture. There have been seven 0-0 draws in the history of this fixture, including two in the last ten years.
You would have to look back to 2008 to find a fixture where both teams were in the second tier of English football. Around that time, the sides were evenly matched as they shared the points in four consecutive meetings in a row. Looking at more recent history, Southampton is undefeated in seven games and West Brom is on a three-game winning streak. The Saints have one clean sheet in their last five games and the Baggies have three.
Southampton F.C. vs West Bromwich Albion Predictions
Looking at the soccer betting markets available at Novibet, there is an obvious favourite for the match. Southampton to win the game by any scoreline is worth 10/11, which means a €10 bet would only return €19.09 if it came true. Interestingly, the bookies have this fixture more likely ending up as a draw rather than a West Brom victory. A draw has odds of 13/5 and the Baggies to win is 14/5.
There is a significant expectation that Southampton will win on the day. They historically get the better of West Brom across all competitions, and they sit one place higher in the league table. Sports betting is never straightforward, and it certainly feels like this game won’t be as cut and dry as you might think. Southampton has won eight games this season, but they have lost four and have a goal difference of zero. West Brom has only won seven times, but they have lost three games and have a goal difference of +10.
The most likely result is a win to Southampton by a margin of 2-1. West Brom has scored more than one goal in the last three games. The only time they have not got on the scoresheet in the last seven matches is 0-0 draws. Meanwhile, Southampton has two clean sheets in ten games. Before going on an unbeaten run of seven games, the Saints lost three games in a row to Leicester, Ipswich, and Middlesbrough.
If you are looking to hold off placing a bet until game day, what can you expect from in-play bets? Depending on how the sides start, a 0-0 draw could be on the cards. As much as everyone expects Southampton to win, they struggled to beat a Millwall side close to the relegation zone. The Saints only won the day with a late strike from Ryan Fraser in the 93rd minute.
If you want to bet on Southampton to win, you can use our welcome bonus on your wager. The season may not even be halfway yet, but already two teams are running off into the sunset. If Southampton wants a chance of securing automatic promotion, they need to continue this unbeaten run for as long as possible. While West Brom is in a similar position so far this season, it would be an upset if they got anything out of the game with the Saints.
Betting on Southampton is the safest option this week. Most Saints fans see a gap in quality between the 11 available on the south coast versus the team coming from the West Midlands. If Southampton is serious about getting back into the Premier League, they need to improve their goal difference. What better way to do so than against the current fifth-place team in the Sky Bet Championship?
Southampton F.C. vs West Bromwich Albion Betting Tips
Soccer betting is difficult at the best of times, but there are other bets to consider other than the outright winner. Instead of online betting on the victor at full-time, you can bet on goals or a goalless first half. Last game, West Brom scored and conceded in the first half, meaning the first half could end in a draw. Even betting on there being two goals in the first half has odds of 14/5. A €10 wager on the first 45 minutes could return as much as €38.
If you are unsure about the scoreline at halftime, you can bet on the result after 45 minutes. The returns for Southampton leading at the break are even more rewarding than betting on the Saints to win the game. A €15 bet on Southampton to lead West Brom at the interval would return €37.50 and a draw would yield €33.75. Plus, the Saints have scored late in their last four games, with a goal after the 80-minute mark in each game. Betting on Southampton to continue this trend is another risky but rewarding wager.
Southampton is the clear favourite to win this fixture, but there are dozens of wagers you can consider which will increase your returns. If you were to bet on a 2-1 scoreline to the home team, you are looking at 7/1 odds. A ten euro bet on this will see you win €80, including the value of your stake. You could also bet on the “Anytime Correct Score” market, which involves a payout if the scoreline is 2-1 before the end of the match. This wager has smaller returns but is more likely to come true.
Betting on Southampton to win is the obvious bet, but you can be creative with how you place the wager. Choosing a halftime result or Anytime Correct Scoreline can give you plenty of reasons to smile long before the final whistle. It is unlikely West Brom has the personnel to force a draw or an upset at St Mary’s, but the Sky Bet Championship is full of surprises. We still think Southampton will win the day without holding on to the clean sheet.
Southampton F.C. Lineup
Manager Russell Martin has relied on a stable starting 11 the past few games with plenty of impact substitutions. He has changed four of his personnel in the last two games. Martin is unlikely to change from the tactics that have seen the unbeaten run stretch into seven games. He will continue to field an unchanged team for the game against West Brom and will most likely use the same subs as in previous games.
- Southampton Predicted Lineup: G. Bazunu, K. Walker-Peters, T. Harwood-Bellis, J. Bednarek, J. Bree, W. Smallbone. F. Downes, S. Armstrong, C. Alcaraz, A. Armstrong, and K. Sulemana.
West Bromwich Albion’s Lineup
West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan changed his team drastically between the 2-0 victory at Coventry and the 3-1 home win over Hull. The back three at Coventry seem even less likely given the injury to centre-back Kyle Bartley. Bartley’s replacement Semi Ajayi scored in the victory against the Tigers, meaning he might get the call-up over veteran defender Erik Pieters. Corberan will choose a similar 11 to last week, preferring a traditional 4-4-2 formation.
- West Brom Predicted Lineup: A. Palmer, D. Furlong, S. Ajayi, C. Kipré, C. Townsend, G. Diangana, O. Yokuşlu, A. Mowatt, M. Phillips, J. Wallace, and B. Thomas-Asante.
