Southampton vs Sunderland Prediction & Betting Tips - Championship

Prediction published on 07/03/2024, 08:50  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 09/03/2024 at 02:00 in Championship Prediction

Southampton will continue their quest to reach the automatic qualification places in the Championship when they play host to Sunderland on Saturday afternoon. The hosts are currently in fourth place in the league standings, while the visitors are 11th. Southampton made an excellent start to the year, maintaining an unbeaten record in the first five games of 2024. However, they have hit a few stumbling blocks lately, managing to win only two of their last five games while suffering defeats to Bristol City, Hull City, and Millwall in the last month. The Saints secured a nail-biting 4-3 win against Birmingham City last weekend, which took them to 70 points, eight shy of second-placed Ipswich Town, though they do have a game in hand on the sides above them. At Saint Mary’s, Southampton has achieved 11 wins, two draws, and four losses in 17 Championship matches this season, but they are now looking to avoid a third consecutive home defeat in this match. The Saints are the clear favourites in this one. 

Meanwhile, Sunderland have been ice-cold recently and are tumbling down the league standings at pace. They were beaten 1-0 by league leaders Leicester City in midweek, marking their fifth consecutive league defeat dating back to the start of February. Over their last ten league games, they have only managed two wins and a draw while losing the remaining seven games. The Black Cats’ dip in form sees them enter this contest with 47 points to date and trailing the playoff places by ten points. Sunderland have secured four wins, five draws, and nine losses in their away league matches this season. They are currently experiencing a six-match winless streak on the road, comprising two draws and four losses. Their last away victory dates back to December 2023 against Hull City. However, the visitors did win the reverse fixture in resounding fashion, knocking in five goals without response at the Stadium of Light back in September.