A horror run of five games without a win has sent Brentford plummeting down the Premier League table but they have the perfect chance to get back on track when they visit rock-bottom Southampton.
Stunning home form had been keeping the Bees in the top half but Wednesday's 3-1 loss to Arsenal was their second defeat in a row at the Gtech.
They've also lost four of their last five in the Premier League, with Thomas Frank's side going without a league win on the road all season.
Brentford remain nine points clear of the drop zone but they will want to end their slump soon and will fancy their chances away to a Saints side who look doomed to the drop.
Southampton are now just 1/25 to be relegated after a run that has seen them go 10 without a win in all competitions, with eight of those games ending in defeats.
New manager Ivan Juric has failed to change the mood music but will view this game as a chance to get his first win with Brentford in such poor form.
How the bookies view it: Bees only narrow favourites
The bookies are sitting on the fence a bit for this one with both sides struggling. BoyleSports price Southampton at 13/8, with Brentford slight 7/5 favourites and the draw paying 12/5.
Recent head to head: Brentford bossing it
The Bees have dominated this fixture in recent seasons, winning five of the last six meetings. They claimed a 3-1 win over Saints in London earlier this season and won 2-0 at St Mary's on their last visit to Southampton in March.
Players to watch: Mbuemo a class act
Although Brentford were well beaten in the end by Arsenal, Bryan Mbuemo enhanced his reputation by capping another impressive display with a goal. The Cameroon international is 2/1 at BoyleSports for anytime scorer and that looks a bit overpriced.
Tyler Dibling's emergence this season has been one of the few positives for Southampton this season. The youngster scored in the defeat by Crystal Palace last time out and is 7/2 to follow it up with another goal.
Probable line-ups
Southampton have midfielder Matheus Fernandes suspended while Gavin Bazunu, Ross Stewart, Will Smallbone, Jack Stephens and Juan Larios are set to miss out with injury again.
Brentford still have a lengthy injury list, with Kris Ajer, Ben Mee, Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey Josh Dasilva, Gustavo Nunes, Ethan Pinnock and Igor Thiago sidelined.
Southampton: Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Wood, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Lallana, Bree, Aribo, Dibling, Armstrong, Onuachu.
Brentford: Flekken, Van Den Berg, Collins, Roerslev, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Norgaard, Yanelt, Schade, Wissa, Mbuemo.
Anything else catch the eye?
We saw four goals when these sides faced off earlier in the season but that was when Brenford were in much better form. So betting against BTTS might be a decent shout here at 6/4 with BoyleSports while under 2.5 goals pays 5/4 with the same firm.
Saints won 8-2 on the corner count in that defeat at the Gtech earlier this season so there could be some value in backing Southampton -0.5 in the corner handicap here at 20/21.
With neither side in great form it could be a bit cagey to begin with and the half-time draw is another decent option at 6/5 with BoyleSports.
This English Premier League match between Southampton and Brentford will be played on Jan 4, 2025 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Southampton vs Brentford prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
