Plymouth vs Southampton Prediction & Betting Tips - Championship

Prediction published on 17/08/2023, 11:20  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 17/08/2023 at 11:20 in Championship Predictions

Newly promoted Plymouth Argyle will play host to last season’s Premier League bottom club Southampton in the Championship on Saturday. The hosts are currently in fourth place in the league after the first two fixtures, while the visitors are two places behind them. Plymouth Argyle earned promotion back to the Championship last season by winning the EFL League One. They finished the season with 101 points in 46 matches, three points ahead of Ipswich Town in second place. Over the course of the season, they recorded 31 wins, eight draws, and seven losses. They also ended the campaign with six consecutive wins, scoring two or more goals in each of those matches. So far this season, they overcame Huddersfield 3-1 on the opening weekend of the league and followed up with a hard-fought 0-0 against Watford last week. They also beat Leyton Orient 2-0 in a League Cup match in between their two league fixtures. With those results, Plymouth are now unbeaten in their last nine competitive matches either side of the summer break and have not lost on home soil in their last seven. Despite their strong record of late, going up against a much bigger here sees them come into the match as the 4/1 outsiders. 

Meanwhile, Southampton were relegated from the Premier League for the first time in their history last season and will be determined to secure promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking. According to the bookmakers, they are the second favourite to finish in the top two, along with Leicester City. Southampton finished rock bottom in the Premier League last season, managing just 25 points in their 38 games. They did not win any of their final 13 matches in the top flight, losing nine and drawing four. After beginning their Championship campaign with a positive 2-1 result over Sheffield Wednesday, the Saints were dumped out of the League Cup by League Two outfit Gillingham FC and followed up with a 4-4 draw against Norwich last week which leaves them sixth in the table, two points behind Ipswich and Leicester in first and second respectively. While on paper Southampton should make light work of this opponent, their performances in the last two matches are serious causes for concern and sees them come into the match as a soft favourite in the region of 2/1 to win the match.