English Premier League Soccer - Watford vs. Southampton, 6/28/20 - Preview, Prediction & Odds

Sitting just one point off the relegation zone, 16th-placed Watford will try to get back on track while playing host to 14th-placed Southampton, who have lost five of their last seven games. Kick-off - at 11:30 PM ET on Sunday, June 28.

Watford Get Edged By Burnley

Watford’s bid for survival in the Premier League was dealt a setback after the team dropped a 1-0 decision against Burnley away at Turf Moor on Thursday. Lucky not to concede on at least three separate occasions in the first half, the Hornets almost scored in the following frame through Troy Deeney, only for the hosts to find the back of the net with just over 15 minutes remaining, giving Watford their fifth defeat in the last eight Premier League fixtures (W1 D2 L5). The Hertfordshire club remains 16th in the league (W6 D10 L15), sitting just one point above the bottom three.

English striker Deeney resides at the top of the Hornets’ scoring table with six EPL markers for the year but has scored just once in his past seven appearances. Goalie Ben Foster, meanwhile, is 7th in the league with 93 saves. He has collected nine clean sheets in 31 games this season and gives up a goal every 61 minutes on average. Watford is 2nd in the least goals buried during the ongoing campaign (28), 13th in most shots taken per game (11.2), and 3rd from the bottom in both ball possession (44.3%) and passing accuracy (73.5%).

Southampton Pay Versus Arsenal

Southampton lost for the fifth time in their past seven outings (W2 L5) after being shut out with a count of 2-0 by Arsenal at St. Mary’s Stadium on Thursday. A first-half mistake by goalie Alex McCarthy after a back-pass and a second-half free-kick following the dismissal of defender Jack Stephens’ for a last-man foul with four minutes remaining now leave the Saints with more domestic defeats than any other team has picked up in the Premier League this season (W4 D2 L10). Southampton also tops all EPL clubs in errors leading to opposition goals (10). The team is 14th in the standings (W11 D4 L16), trailing a spot in the Europa League for the next season by seven points.

English marksman Danny Ings leads the Saints with 16 league goals this year but has gotten off the mark just once in his previous five contests. Goalie McCarthy, meanwhile, sits 15th in England’s top-flight with 62 saves. He has recorded five clean sheets in 21 games so far this season and allows a goal every 65 minutes of play. Southampton has scored the 9th highest number of strikes during the current campaign (38) while delivering the 6th highest quantity of shots per game (13.1). The team is 11th in ball possession (48.2%) and 2nd from the bottom in passing accuracy (71.9%).

Prediction

Both teams have struggled in the Premier League lately, but neither stands out as a clear-cut favorite in this one. Watford have won just one of their past nine overall contests (W1 D3 L5), but have dropped just one of their previous eight domestic outings (W4 D3 L1). Southampton have collected five losses in their last seven league games (W2 L5), but have triumphed in five of their previous seven travels (W5 L2). If anything, both sides have been quite similar in their recent showings, highlighted by their head-to-head record as well. Three of the past four Premier League encounters between the Hornets and the Saints have ended as stalemates, with three of the last four draws between the pair all finishing on level 1-1 terms.

Best bets:

Draw (+225)

Correct score: 1-1 (+540)

Danny Ings to score anytime (+135)