SOUTHAMPTON and Newcastle United square off in the first leg of their English League Cup semi-final at St Mary's on Tuesday night.
This tie has brought together two sides that are experiencing contrasting seasons, with Southampton fighting for their Premier League lives, while Newcastle are chasing a ticket for next term's Champions League.
Last time out, Saints' mini-revival came grinding to a halt as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa.
That setback means Nathan Jones' side remain bottom of the Premier League table, so they will likely see the Carabao Cup as a welcome distraction from their scrap for survival.
As for Newcastle, they moved up to third-place in the top-flight standings following an uninspiring 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday, on an evening where my 11/2 card selection landed.
Having reached the semi-finals of the League Cup for the first time in 47 years, the Magpies will now look to keep their dreams of a Wembley final alive by securing a first leg advantage at St Mary's on Tuesday.
Outright Betting
Despite dumping Manchester City out at the quarter-final stage, Southampton head into this last-four fixture as unfancied 18/5 (William Hill) shots while an all square affair pays 13/5 (Bet 365).
Newcastle emerged victorious from this venue back in November and the same outcome here can be backed at a best 4/5 (SBK).
Betting Angles
Newcastle are worthy favourites here and I'm more than happy to back them to prevail at the above-mentioned 4/5 (SBK) quote.
Eddie Howe's charges have lost just once in the Premier League all season and have avoided defeat in each of their previous 15 league outings, triumphing in 10 of those tussles.
This is a stark contrast to a Southampton side that are rock-bottom of the table, having claimed top honours in just two of their last 15 top-flight assignments.
What's more, the struggling Saints have slumped to defeat in 11 of those games across that 15-game sequence, one of which was a 4-1 reverse when they hosted the Magpies just over two months ago.
It's also worth pointing out that Newcastle have no forthcoming weekend fixture to contend with, so that should give them enough of a cushion to give the Carabao Cup their full attention over the next seven days.
Southampton, on the other hand, have bigger fish to fry as it stands, so with all things considered, backing Newcastle to draw first blood looks worth backing at 4/5 (SBK).
I landed an 18/1 long shot by backing Dan Burn to score in Newcastle's quarter-final victory over Leicester, but this time around, I'll instead back the big defender to go into the book at 9/2 (Bet 365).
The Magpies left-back's direct opponent here could be Southampton's shining light Samuel Edozie, who's dribbling ability and willingness to take on players has been causing defenders all sorts of problems in recent weeks.
This EFL Cup match between Southampton and Newcastle United will be played on Jan 24, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Southampton vs Newcastle United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.