5th placed Southampton host 7th-placed Birmingham in Saturday’s early Championship kick-off. Russell Martin has had an inconsistent start to life on the South Coast, whereas England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney suffered defeat in his first game in charge. Read our match predictions below, with selections from the win market, player-to-score market, and player-to-be-carded market.
Southampton vs Birmingham Betting Tips
- Southampton to win @1.62 Betking
- Adam Armstrong to score @ 2.42 Betking
- Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Betking
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Oh when the Saints, go marching on
Southampton are currently unbeaten in four, winning three of these games. This string of results has seen Russell Martin’s side climb to fifth in the table after a shaky start to their Championship campaign. The Saints are looking to bounce straight back to the Premier League.
As is typical of a Russell Martin side, Southampton have struggled for consistency. They started their season unbeaten in four league games. They beat Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth, and QPR. The Saints also shared points with Norwich in a captivating game that ended 4-4.
Despite this positive start, two drubbings followed: a 5-0 away at Sunderland and a 4-1 loss to top-of-the-table Leicester City. They also lost to Ipswich and Middlesbrough before an impressive 3-1 win over Leeds put an end to their poor streak.
The Saints are now back flying. They beat Hull and Stoke away and were amazingly held to draw by Rotherham despite a 3.30–0.14 xG difference ruining many predictions for the match.
They host a Birmingham side that controversially sacked manager John Eustace despite sitting in 6th place. Wayne Rooney was quickly brought in with an aim to grow the Blues’ global brand. This was met with major criticism by many and early results haven’t backed up the appointment.
His opening game in charge saw Birmingham fall to a late 1-0 defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough, who have now won five consecutive games.
Despite Birmingham sitting in 7th place, I expect Southampton to march on and win again as the Blues get used to Wayne Rooney’s new managerial approach. That’s the first of our tips.
Southampton vs Birmingham Bet 1: Southampton to win @1.62 Betking
Adam Arm-strong in front of goal
Despite a stuttering start in a Southampton shirt after a £15 million move from Blackburn Rovers, Adam Armstrong is finally finding his form in the Championship. Armstrong was signed off thanks to a 29-goal season for the Rovers.
This season, the 26-year-old has been in sensational form, scoring seven goals in 12 games, averaging one goal every 146 minutes in the stats.
He has not scored a goal in his last three league appearances, so he will be keen on getting on the scoresheet as he chases the Golden Boot.
Armstrong could be the big winner here against Birmingham. He’s scored seven goals in seven starts against the Blues, including a hat-trick in Blackburn’s 5-2 victory back in 2021, the last time Armstrong faced this Saturday’s opponents.
Having scored in his past three head-to-head encounters against Birmingham, Adam Armstrong aspires to make it four games in a row with a goal against the Blues.
Southampton vs Birmingham Bet 2: Adam Armstrong to score @ 2.42 Betking
Value in Backing the Unders
There is usually more value in betting under a goal line than over. This match is a good place to test that theory.
Many look at Southampton’s goal tally and expect a high-scoring match. After all, they’ve averaged 3.46 total match goals per game this season – the second-highest figure in the Championship.
But more recently, things have dried up. That 3.46 figure is warped by some early-season matches like the previously mentioned 4-4 draw with Norwich. In their last eight, an average of 2.88 goals have been scored in Southampton’s matches.
Birmingham’s figures are even lower. Their last eight matches have seen an average of 2.38 goals scored. That number drops to 2.00 when looking just at away matches – the third-lowest in the division.
Under 2.5 looks
Southampton vs Birmingham Bet 3: Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Betking
Southampton vs Birmingham Odds
Odds correct at time of publishing and are subject to change.
- Southampton to win @1.60
- Draw @ 4.05
- Birmingham @ 5.50
