Southampton v West Ham: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Rock-bottom Southampton gained a point at Fulham in their last Premier League game, but they are eight points from safety and new manager Ivan Juric faces a tough task to keep Saints in the top flight.

They desperately need to string a run of wins together, however, it is West Ham who are fancied to come out on top at St Mary's on Boxing Day.

Southampton v West Ham betting tips and predictions

West Ham to win - 6/5

Southampton fans got an early Christmas present when their wish for Russell Martin to leave the club came to fruition, but replacement Juric still faces a tough task and the difficulty of the job ahead could be highlighted by West Ham when the teams clash at St Mary's.

Saints sit bottom of the Premier League pile and were struggling to stay competitive in the top flight as Martin stuck to his beliefs of adopting a possession-based approach which continually left the team exposed defensively.

Former Roma and Torino boss Juric sat in the stands as interim boss Simon Rusk went back to basics at Fulham on Sunday and was rewarded with a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw. Juric is likely to want the same kind of defensive discipline, however, there are no guarantees it will be successful.

Saints had only one shot on target at the weekend and have failed to score in their last three matches which pinpoints a weakness in attack as well as the defensive woes that were evident as Tottenham and Chelsea both scored five on trips to St Mary's earlier this month.

Fellow Londoners West Ham might fall short of dishing out similar capital punishment, but they looked to have turned a corner in recent weeks and can ease the pressure on boss Julen Lopetegui with a victory.

West Ham's return of eight points from the last six matches needs to be seen in the context of a difficult run that has taken them to Newcastle and Bournemouth as well as hosting Brighton and Arsenal. They beat Newcastle, drew at Bournemouth and the 3-1 loss at Leicester was incredibly harsh as they dominated the vast majority of the match.    

The Hammers have failed to score only once on their travels this term - that was a 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest when Edson Alvarez was sent off in the first half - and given shot-shy Saints are not prolific it could be that even one goal is enough to justify favouritism.

Tomas Soucek anytime goalscorer - 9/2

West Ham are sharing the goals around this season and they are not being helped in their search for a prolific frontman by the lack of fitness to big summer signing Niclas Fullkrug.

The German international was hooked on 57 minutes against Brighton, just before Mohammed Kudus levelled, and with Lucas Paqueta suspended it could be another midfielder who needs to chip in at Southampton.

Tomas Soucek has scored four times in the Premier League this season, including in away games at Crystal Palace, Brentford and Newcastle, and the Czech looks worth backing to exploit any weaknesses Saints suffer from set-pieces.

Southampton have conceded nine times from dead-ball situations this season, which is the third-most in the division behind Wolves and Manchester United and Soucek is a clear threat from balls crossed into the box.

He has had 14 shots in his last six appearances and will be looking to test Aaron Ramsdale at every opportunity.   

Flynn Downes to be carded - 7/4

Players are always desperate to impress against their former clubs and that will be the case for West Ham fan Flynn Downes, who is the anchor in Southampton's midfield.

Downes, the most-carded player in the Premier League this season with seven cautions to his name already, has been booked in four of his last five outings in all competitions and looks a fair bet to be cautioned again.

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Southampton v West Ham odds

Southampton - 9/4
Draw - 12/5
West Ham - 6/5

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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.