Liverpool v Southampton: Free Tips, Prediction and Odds

Top plays bottom at Anfield on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League and Ivan Juric's Southampton have to fear the worst against Liverpool.

The Reds are 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League, while the sorry Saints are 13 points from safety at the other end. Little wonder Arne Slot's title favourites are 1/8 to win this encounter.

Liverpool v Southampton free betting tips and predictions

Liverpool & Both Teams to Score (No) - 1/1

Liverpool have won each of their last seven home matches against Southampton by an aggregate 22-1 scoreline and few will give Saints much of a sniff of pulling off what would surely be the shock of the season.

Juric's Saints are a massive 16/1 chance at Anfield and will be fumbling around for reasons to be positive.

They may feel encouraged by the fact they have had 11 days off since their last game, a period during which Liverpool have played twice against Newcastle in the Premier League and PSG in the UEFA Champions League.

They might also point to a decent performance at home to Liverpool back in November when a team then managed by Russell Martin were 2-1 up midway through the second half, before losing 3-2.

But those are surely the only real glimmers of positivity because the cold truth of the league table suggests this is a mismatch.

Liverpool may well be jaded after a brutal few weeks culminating in Wednesday's fortunate 1-0 win at PSG in Europe.

Their five fixtures in the three weeks before that saw them visit Everton (2-2), Aston Villa (2-2) and Manchester City, who they beat 2-0, before beating Newcastle by the same scoreline on Merseyside last week.

That they are unbeaten through their last six matches shows their resolve - as well as their class - and there is no suggestion yet they are running out of gas.

At Anfield they are ruthless. Since that shock 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest in September, they have played 18 home matches, winning 16 and drawing the other two, including wins over the likes of Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Man City.

Just as impressively, they have scored at least two goals in each of those 18 games.

In response, Southampton's campaign since promotion could not look any sorrier.

Two wins all year - 1-0 against Everton, 2-1 at Ipswich - they look as though they have all but thrown in the towel judged by their last two meek efforts, 4-0 losses to Brighton and Chelsea.

They have not kept a clean sheet since Christmas - they have kept only two all season - and no matter how disappointing they were under Martin, there is no obvious evidence they have improved much under Juric, whose own future is now evidently under scrutiny.

The pressure from Liverpool will be relentless and Southampton may not have a lot coming back. To that end, it's hard to see past the Reds & Both Teams Not to Score.

Will Smallbone Over 1.5 Fouls Committed - 6/5

Southampton's midfield will be doing its share of chasing at Anfield on Saturday, so expect the tackles - and the fouls - to tot up.

Midfielder Will Smallbone has been out for long periods of the season and was missed by both Russell Martin and Ivan Juric because he does offer a work-rate and eye for a pass that others lack at St Mary's.

His recent starts against Bournemouth and Chelsea were his first since August and he played the full 90 in the 4-0 defeat to the Blues.

He put in one tackle at Chelsea and committed two fouls and there has to be a chance he can land the 6/5 by committing at least two fouls at Liverpool.

Virgil van Dijk Over 0.5 Shots on Target - 11/8

Dutch colossus Virgil van Dijk is leading Liverpool towards glory - and possibly a treble - and is chipping in with goals, as usual.

Van Dijk has scored once in the Premier League this season, once in the League Cup and also in the UEFA Champions League.

He is a constant threat at set-pieces, something Liverpool win so well - they chalked up 10 corners at St Mary's in the 3-2 win against Southampton earlier in the season.

Liverpool's pressure will yield plenty of corners at Anfield as well and Van Dijk to get on the end of one and test Aaron Ramsdale looks a fair bet given how one-way the traffic should be.

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Liverpool v Southampton odds

Liverpool - 1/8
Draw - 17/2
Southampton - 16/1

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.