Watford host a rejuvenated Southampton at Vicarage Road on Sunday, with the Saints chasing a fifth straight away win to open the Championship season.
Watford face Southampton at Vicarage Road on Sunday afternoon, with Alessio Dionisi's Hornets looking to arrest a miserable run of form against a Southampton side determined to put last season's play-off disqualification behind them. Watford finished 16th last term and have lost their last five matches in all competitions, including a chastening 4-0 home defeat to Coventry City on the final day.
Southampton, by contrast, arrive full of confidence after reaching the FA Cup semi-finals and missing out on automatic promotion by just four points last season, only to see their play-off run end in scandal when the club was disqualified from the final for spying on opponents' training sessions. New boss Tonda Eckert has kept the core of that squad together and added Aston Villa's Lewis Dobbin in a €10.5m deal, with the Saints unbeaten in their last six meetings with Watford.
Watford vs Southampton Best Bet
Recommended Bet: Southampton to Win
Best Odds: 20/21 (BetMGM)
Advised Stake: 1pt
Watford's home form makes for grim reading heading into this one. Dionisi's side are winless in their last four at Vicarage Road, have lost seven of their last ten league matches, and shipped four without reply to Coventry in their final game of last season. Across their last ten home league outings they've managed just 0.70 goals per game while conceding 1.50 - numbers that hand Southampton a clear platform to attack.
The Saints, meanwhile, have won eight of their last ten league games and are unbeaten in nine on the road, averaging 2.30 goals scored per away match against just 1.40 conceded. They've also won four consecutive away fixtures heading into this trip to Hertfordshire. Cyle Larin scored six goals in Southampton's last ten league outings, while Cameron Archer and Ryan Manning have combined for six assists in the same period - more than enough attacking threat to trouble a Watford defence that has been picked apart repeatedly in recent months.
Southampton have also won six of the last ten meetings between these two sides, with Watford managing just a single victory in that span.
Who is Betting Favourite to Win Watford vs Southampton?
According to recent odds at Oddschecker, Southampton are the betting favourites to beat Watford in the Championship encounter, with an implied win probability of around 51%, while Watford sit at roughly 29%.
To Win Odds:
Watford: 13/5 (AK Bets)
Draw: 27/10 (10bet)
Southampton: 23/20 (AK Bets)
Watford vs Southampton Bet Builder Tip
Our Bet Builder Tip for Watford vs Southampton consists of the following legs:
- Southampton - Win Market
- Leo Scienza - To Score Or Assist
- Imran Louza - To Be Shown A Card
Best price around 10/1 with William Hill at the time of writing.
Southampton Win
Southampton's away form has been excellent - four straight wins on the road and only one defeat in their last ten away matches. Watford, by contrast, have lost seven of their last ten league games and conceded 2.30 per game in that stretch. Tonda Eckert's side have the attacking depth in Larin, Archer and Dobbin to make the most of a shaky Hornets backline, while Watford's rebuild under Dionisi looks a work in progress at best.
Leo Scienza - To Score or Assist
Scienza is the attacking player to watch for Southampton after an encouraging start to the new campaign. The winger finished last season with seven Championship goals and four assists, establishing himself as one of the Saints' more productive attacking outlets. He has also carried that threat into pre-season, scoring in two of Southampton's three friendlies before finding the net again in the 1-0 win over Sheffield United.
That makes Scienza to score or assist an appealing angle, particularly given his involvement in Southampton's attacking phases. The Swiss winger has already shown he can provide both goals and creativity, rather than relying solely on one route to a return.
Imran Louza - To Be Shown A Card
Louza's disciplinary record makes him an interesting card selection. The midfielder picked up 12 yellow cards and one red in 42 Championship appearances last season, with only two players registering more yellow cards across the division. The Championship's disciplinary numbers also underline how frequently cards come into play, with several regular midfielders among the league's most-booked players.
Louza's high card count is particularly relevant for a player operating in the middle of the pitch, where repeated challenges and tactical fouls can quickly put him in the referee's notebook. A booking would therefore complete another potentially valuable leg of the bet builder.
Watford vs Southampton Player Prop Bet
Recommended Bet: Cycle Larin Anytime Goalscorer
Best Odds: 21/10 (Virgin Bet)
Advised Stake: 1pt
Larin is a strong anytime goalscorer option after ending last season in outstanding scoring form. The Canadian joined Southampton midway through the campaign and scored eight goals in 16 Championship appearances, including six in his final eight league games.
He has already carried that form into the new season too, scoring Southampton's winner against Colchester in the Carabao Cup after coming off the bench. Larin needed only 10 minutes on the pitch to head home the decisive goal, making it an excellent start to his first full campaign at St Mary's.
The striker's profile also makes him particularly dangerous in the box. Larin is a natural penalty-area finisher who can attack crosses and exploit his aerial strength, while his record for Canada shows he is comfortable carrying the goalscoring burden at international level.
With eight Championship goals from just 853 minutes last season, Larin averaged a goal roughly every 107 minutes in the second tier. That makes Cyle Larin Anytime Goalscorer an appealing selection, particularly if he is named in Southampton's starting XI.
*Can replace Larin with Scienza or B. Diaz if he's not in the starting lineup.
