Southampton vs Coventry prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2024-04-08 18:45.
[p]Southampton’s automatic promotion chances in the Championship this season have seemingly all but evaporated as a 0-0 draw away to struggling Blackburn Rovers at the weekend extended their winless run to three matches (D2, L1). Southampton still have seven matches to play, and two in hand on their nearest rivals in the top six, but still head into this round 12 points adrift of the top two. While that’s likely an unassailable deficit, a return to home comforts should come in handy here as they welcome Coventry City to the south coast.[/p]
[p]That’s because Russell Martin’s side lost just four of 19 outings at home this Championship campaign (W12, D3), and although they’ve most recently won just one of their last four at St Mary’s Stadium (D1, L2), they remain hard to outgun here. Their average of 2.42 goals per outing in the Championship at this venue is their highest such figure in the EFL since the 1979/80 season and leaves them well-placed for success this time around. [/p]
[p]Their likelihood of winning is increased even further by the fact that visiting Coventry have failed to win any of their last five away league H2Hs (D3, L2), though the Sky Blues have kicked themselves into gear of late. A 2-1 success over high-flying Leeds United at the weekend pushed them up to seventh spot and they now sit just four points outside the play-offs places with one game in hand. [/p]
[p]Coventry will also arrive here in mighty fine form on their travels of late, winning more away matches (six) since December 23rd than any other side in the competition. An impressive 3-2 FA Cup win away to Premier League outfit Wolves during that stint further highlights their dangerous nature on the road, especially as they’ve scored 2+ goals in each of their last three competitive away outings. [/p]
[p]Key battle: It’s the battle of two in-form strikers at St Mary’s as Southampton’s Adam Armstrong, who has struck 20 league goals in total this term (nine of which came before the 25th minute), takes on Coventry’s Ellis Simms. Simms has netted 15 goals across all competitions so far in 2024, the most of any player in England’s top four divisions this calendar year. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: 26 of Southampton’s 39 Championship matches this season witnessed both sides score – the highest percentage (67%) of games involving any one side in the competition.[/p]