Watford vs Southampton - Premier League preview and odds

Published on: 03/03/2017

Watford vs Southampton - Premier League preview and odds

March 04, 2017 15:00 pm - Vicarage Road Stadium

Premier League

Watford will look to move a step closer to Premier League safety when they welcome table neighbours Southampton to Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon. The visitors themselves can leapfrog their opponents with a win.

One defeat in six for Watford

Much like last season under Quique Sanchez Flores, Watford are once again doing just enough to keep themselves out of trouble. A recent run of six games featuring two wins, three draws and just a single defeat has left them sitting in 12th place in the table just three points behind ninth-ranked West Ham United.

The Hornets have only lost two of their last 11 league matches on home soil, although they have drawn three of their last five. However, they have only kept two clean sheets in their last 18 league games.

Meanwhile, Southampton will try to pick themselves up after last Sunday`s disappointing League Cup final defeat to Manchester United. The saints fought back from two goals down only to be stunned by a late winner from Zlatan Ibrahimović. Prior to that game, they cruised to an impressive 4-0 win away to Sunderland.

The South Coast team are currently languishing in 13th place in the table but they do have a game in hand on most of their rivals. A win on Saturday could lift them back into the top 10 depending on other results.

Team news

Both sides have plenty of injury issues ahead of this game. Walter Mazzarri will be without Mauro Zarate, Daryl Janmaat, Christian Kabasele (calf), Nordin Amrabat (ankle) and Roberto Pereyra (muscular) all out of action, while Costel Pantilimon (ankle) is also a doubt.

Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk (ankle), Charlie Austin (dislocated shoulder), Alex McCarthy (hamstring strain), Jake Hesketh (ankle), Matt Targett (hamstring strain) and Jeremy Pied (knee) are all missing for Claude Puel`s team.

Recent form (League)

Watford: DLWWD

Southampton: WLLWL

Betting odds and tips

Watford look in fairly good shape and are proving hard to beat as we approach the final stages of the season.

Southampton were dealt a cruel blow at Wembley last week but should still feel confident after making it to a major final for the first time in over a decade. However, their overall record does not make great reading, with four defeats in their last five in all competitions. The one positive has been the arrival of Manolo Gabbiadini who has blasted five goals in his first three appearances.

Overall, based on form and talking injuries into account, the home side should still have a slight edge but the Saints can be expected to score at some point. If they do, Gabbiadini could well be the man to find the net.

You can back Manolo Gabbiadini to score anytime at 2/1 with Bet365.

By Neil Morris

Published on: 03/03/2017

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (03/03/2017 16:06:53) but are subject to change.