SOUTHAMPTON will be looking to stretch their unbeaten run in the Premier League to three matches when they meet Crystal Palace at St Mary's on Saturday afternoon.
It appeared as though the Saints' season was slowly fizzling out following their FA Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of Manchester City last month.
However, Ralph Hasenhüttl's side earned a hard-fought 1-0 over Arsenal a fortnight ago before staging a spirited comeback to draw 2-2 with south coast rivals Brighton last Sunday.
That means Southampton have now reached the well-documented 40 point total and if results go their way this weekend they could move into the top half of the table.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, have enjoyed a quietly impressive Premier League campaign thus far, picking up 38 points from their 33 matches to sit 14th in the standings.
That said, Patrick Viera's side have collected just one point from their last three matches – a fairly uneventful 0-0 draw with Leeds on Monday – so the Eagles will be keen to return to winning ways this weekend with a view to leapfrogging their opponents in the process.
Outright Betting
Despite losing four of their last five home matches in all competitions, Southampton head into this clash as 7/5 favourites with SBK.
Crystal Palace, who have lost each of their last two away Premier League away matches, enter this contest as 11/5 (SBK) outsiders while a share of the spoils at St Mary's pays 40/17 (SBK).
Betting Angles
It's difficult to be tempted about either team here so I'm going to avoid the 1×2 market and instead combine over zero Crystal Palace goals and Crystal Palace with a + 1 start on the handicap at 4/5 with William Hill.
Despite Southampton's mini-revival in recent weeks, clean sheets remain an issue, with the Saints failing to shut out their opponents 26 of their 34 league games this season so far.
It's also worth pointing out Ralph Hasenhüttl's rearguard have shipped two or more goals in a sizeable 18 (53%) of their 34 top-flight fixtures this season – a tally only topped by three other sides in the division.
Whilst you wouldn't necessarily associate Crystal Palace with scoring goals, they have upped their attacking output under Patrick Viera's tutorship this term.
The Eagles have scored a minimum of one goal in 22 of their 33 league games this season and they should have the technical tools to create opportunities against a Southampton side that are not exactly renowned for being watertight.
With that in mind, as well as the likelihood of both sides approaching this contest with a relaxed attitude, supporting the above-mentioned 4/5 (William Hill) formula seems like a sensible solution at St Mary's.
One player who could be worth considering for a caution is Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters who has been priced up at 7/2 (Bet 365) to have his name taken.
The Saints right-back, who has been cautioned five times already this season, could have his hands full with Wilfred Zaha who has drawn the most fouls in Premier League history.
This English Premier League match between Southampton and Crystal Palace will be played on Apr 30, 2022 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Southampton vs Crystal Palace prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
