Southampton vs QPR prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-08-25 14:00.
After three rounds of typically thrilling Championship action, Southampton find themselves in the midst of the early pacesetters (W2, D1). If itâs entertainment youâre after, then Southampton are probably a team to watch, with their three games so far averaging over a whopping 4.5 goals per match, largely thanks to a 4-4 thriller against Norwich in their last outing at St Maryâs.
A fresh way of playing brought in by new boss Russell Martin is certainly a contributing factor to Southamptonâs entertainment value, with only three Championship sides scoring more than the Swansea side Martin managed last season. Scoring no fewer than twice in each of their three league outings so far hints at a continuation of that attacking fluidity, and given the Saints have scored after the 85th minute in each of those games, expect them to fight until the bitter end.
Thatâs potentially a worrying trend for QPR, who have a tendency to work the opposite way, conceding after the 70th minute in each of their last three games. A late collapse cost them in a 1-0 defeat against Ipswich last weekend, but defiant boss Gareth Ainsworth insists he will âlook past the resultâ and take the positives as his side aim to prove the doubters wrong after they were widely tipped to struggle.
âWrite us off at your perilâ claimed Ainsworth, and as such heavy underdogs here, youâd be forgiven for doing so. But having avoided defeat in 52% of their Championship away games as a betting outsider last season (W7, D4, L10), QPR have proved that their games are never quite as cut-and-dry as the odds suggest. And having avoided defeat in five of their last six away H2Hs (W3, D2, L1), they may fancy their chances of being this weekendâs âcoupon busterâ.
Players to watch: Nathan Tella opened his account for the season by opening the scoring in Southamptonâs 2-1 win against Plymouth last weekend, but he closed the scoring in a 3-0 win against QPR whilst on loan at Burnley last season. QPR could do with Lyndon Dykes getting up and running for the season, with all but one of his eight league strikes last season arriving before half-time.
Hot stat: Each of Russell Martinâs four managerial H2Hs against QPR featured two or fewer goals.