Southampton v Stoke City Betting Tips: Saints to end campaign with a win

These two sides have had rather indifferent seasons and will be glad when this campaign is over as they look for an improvement next time round.

After failing to win in five attempts from mid-April to mid-May, Southampton are in relatively good nick going into this final match with a win and a draw in their last two matches, putting them 8th in the table.

Although they have done relatively well to give themselves a chance of finishing 8th, many Southampton fans have been critical of their side this season and particularly manager Claude Puel due to what they perceive as ‘boring’ football. This ‘boring’ football has come from a real lack of goals for the south coast side and their total of just 41 in 37 matches is the worst in the top 13. Additionally, they have found the back of the net only twice, and both of those coming in just one match, in their last five outings. However, defensively, Puel’s men have been very strong with just 47 conceded and an exceptional clean sheet ratio of 38%, fourth-best in the league, including three in their last five.

The Saints have had a torrid time at home recently with just one win in all competitions since 22nd January. This, as you would expect, has been down to their lack of goals but, defensively, they have been solid with a home clean sheet ratio of 44%  as well as two clean sheets recorded in their last three games on home soil. Furthermore, going into this match, Southampton’s record at St. Mary’s against sides in the bottom half has been very good with just one loss against teams in the bottom 11.

After securing two back-to-back 9th place finishes in the last two seasons, the fact that Stoke are now guaranteed to finish in the bottom half of the table represents a disappointing season. They have had a poor end to the campaign with just one win in their last ten matches.

The Potters have been relatively poor in both boxes this campaign with just 40 goals scored and 56 conceded in 37 matches. However, it has been defensively where Stoke have struggled recently and they have kept just one clean sheet in their last nine outings. At the other end of the pitch, Mark Hughes’s side have been okay in their last two having found the back of the net three times.

Away form has been pretty atrocious this term for Stoke with just 14 points taken from 18 matches whilst they have also failed to win in their last seven games on the road. Furthermore, all three of Stoke’s away wins this season have come against sides currently in the bottom five, two of them against teams who are now relegated.

Both of these teams are in pretty dire form at the moment and neither of them have had a reputation for firing on all cylinders this season so I am not expecting fireworks here. However, although they have been poor at home of late, you cannot ignore Southampton’s home record against the lower-ranked teams and thus ‘Southampton to Win & Under 3.5 Goals’, at 11/8, looks a good bet.

Hull City v Tottenham tips can be found here.