Prediction & odds for the game: Brighton (29/20) v Southampton (19/10) – ST is backing the draw

When: Monday, 7th December @ 8pm K.O

Where: Amex Stadium

Brighton & Hove Albion will host Southampton on MNF with one hoping to push away from the bottom three and the other aiming for the top six.

Brighton

Even though the table suggests that they’re struggling, the Seagulls have shown enough to suggest that they have what it takes to survive again this season. They’ve got some really exciting young players, an intriguing manager with fresh ideas, and some veterans that balance things out really nicely. They’ll be viewed as the slight underdogs heading into this game but based on recent evidence we don’t think they’ve got anything to fear.

Back to back draws against Crystal Palace and West Brom probably could’ve been turned into wins with a bit more confidence, and their 2-1 loss to Tottenham was slightly disappointing. Since then, though, Brighton have really stepped up with a draw against Burnley, a surprising win over Aston Villa and a 1-1 draw against champions Liverpool.

Southampton

The Saints have had their fair share of slip-ups throughout the early stage of the campaign but they just seem to have this relentless positivity and drive that ensures they never fall too far down the ladder. Aside from that meaning they should be a guaranteed top flight club under Ralph Hasenhuttl for however long he chooses to stay, it also means that they could easily make a surge for the European places.

The 3-3 draw against Chelsea was an indication of what was to come from Southampton this season as they proceeded to go on a great three-game winning run with triumphs over Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle. They then fought to a point against Wolves at Molineux before dropping a 2-0 lead in a disappointing loss to Manchester United.

Conclusion

Even though both sides have the potential to really cause some damage, we think this one will be a bit of a stalemate. A draw would be viewed as a pretty good result for both clubs given how things have played out so far this season, but that doesn’t mean that’s what they’ll play for. We just think they’re going to cancel each other out and split the points between them, and we don’t think that’ll be too disappointing for either.

Our official scoreline prediction is 0-0, so we’re obviously going to be backing the under 2.5 goals market – but we do believe there are going to be plenty of chances flying around with the two goalkeepers stepping up to really earn their wage (and a clean sheet).

Verdict: Back the draw at odds of 12/5 and the under 2.5 goals scored at odds of 10/11 (All odds are taken from bet365).

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If you want to bet on Liverpool vs Wolves then head on over to the betting page. Alternatively, you can check out some of the other available fixtures at the soccer predictions page ahead of what is bound to be a thrilling few months of Premier League action.