Sunderland vs Southampton Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

Sunderland might just have turned a corner this season after last weekend. They looked comfortable at Selhurst Park and took a first half lead before a flurry of goals just before the break saw them head into half-time with a ridiculous 4-0 lead over Crystal Palace. They held on to that scoreline throughout the second half to end their eight match winless streak in all competitions.

In the Premier League they have only lost four of their last eight games though, which is a decent record considering they are rock bottom of the table. The win last weekend puts them to within two points of safety though, and they will be rightly feeling good.

Southampton are having a very poor spell of form at the moment. They lost 3-1 at home to West Ham last weekend to make it three defeats on the trot, and without the departed Jose Fonte and the injured Virgil van Dijk they have conceded ten goals in their last three games.

Just four of their last 12 games in all competitions have ended in a victory for them, and in the Premier League they have lost a disappointing six of their last seven outings. This has shunted them down to 13th in the Premier League, and they are only seven points above the drop zone.

Away from home things get even worse for The Saints. They have won just twice on the road in the Premier League this season, losing seven times and drawing the remaining three. Sunderland have won three, drawn two, and lost two of their last seven at home as well, so this could be another disappointment for Southampton.

Obviously Sunderland have one person in particular to thank if they do manage to avoid relegation again this season. Jermain Defoe scored twice last weekend to take his tally to 14 Premier League goals for the season. Eight of these have come in his 12 home appearances, which represents well over half of Sunderland’s total goals. Their next highest scorer is the departed Patrick van Aanholt. Considering Southampton’s poor defensive record of late, backing Jermain Defoe to score anytime at 7/4 looks an excellent choice for our goalscorer predictions.

Despite the form record, the bookies are heavily favouring Southampton here, which leaves a lot of value on the table for us. Odds of 4/5 for a Sunderland Win or Draw Double Chance look excellent value for money, so I’m backing that alongside a 2-1 win for the hosts at 14/1 for our correct score predictions.