Leicester City hope a match with a less-accomplished foe can halt their slide Saturday when they visit Southampton for an English Premier League match. Leicester (7-3-14) have lost consecutive league matches, but both were to top-four teams. They followed a 3-0 loss to Manchester United with a 1-0 setback to Arsenal before losing 2-1 to Blackburn in the FA Cup on Tuesday. But Southampton (5-3-16) are last in the Premier League table and come off a much worse loss in the FA Cup on Wednesday. Their 2-1 setback to fourth-tier Grimsby Town was their fifth loss in their past six matches. The Saints did win the season's first meeting between these teams, a 2-1 triumph at King Power Stadium in August.
Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. ET at St. Mary's Stadium. Caesars Sportsbook lists Southampton as slight +160 favorites (risk $100 to win $160) in the latest Southampton vs. Leicester odds. Leicester are +170 underdogs, a draw is priced at +225 and the over/under for total match goals is set at 2.5. Before locking in any Leicester City vs. Southampton picks, you need to see the English Premier League predictions and betting advice from proven SportsLine soccer insider Martin Green.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Green is 52-47-1 on his SportsLine soccer picks since the conclusion of the 2022 World Cup, generating almost $900 for $100 bettors.
Now, Green has broken down Southampton vs. Leicester City from every angle and just locked in his picks and EPL predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Green's picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Leicester City vs. Southampton:
- Southampton vs. Leicester City spread: Leicester -0.5 (+160)
- Southampton vs. Leicester City over/under: 2.5 goals
- Southampton vs. Leicester City money line: Leicester +170, Southampton +160, Draw +225
- SOU: The Saints have allowed at least one goal in all 11 EPL home games
- LEI: The Foxes have conceded two or more in nine of 12 EPL road matches
- Southampton vs. Leicester City picks: See picks here
Why you should back Leicester City
Both defenses have struggled all season, but Leicester have far more firepower than the Saints. They have scored 36 goals, most among teams in the bottom half of the table, compared to just 19 for Southampton. The Foxes also have taken four of their seven victories this season on the road, while the Saints have been dreadful at St. Mary's. They have won one match on their home turf (1-3-7), where they are minus-9 in goal differential. Leicester are 3-2-0 in the past five in Southampton and posted that same mark in the previous five overall before the August loss.
James Maddison is expected to be back from illness, which would be a huge boost. He leads the team with nine goals and has five assists, while Harvey Barnes has scored eight times. The likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Patson Daka and Jamie Vardy make the Foxes dangerous. Those three have combined for seven goals and 11 assists. Leicester controlled the first meeting, holding the ball for 62% of the match, but struggled to generate chances and had one shot on net. They are putting 35.9% of attempts on target this season, tied for fourth-best in the EPL.
Why you should back Southampton
The Saints are just four points from the safety of 17th place, and they have been in the top tier of English football since 2012. They will be fighting hard for points and are just six behind Leicester City in the Premier League table. The August victory should give them confidence that they can defeat a seemingly-equal foe. The Foxes are tied for second-most goals allowed at 42, and they are minus-7 in goal differential in their road matches. Leicester had just one shot on net in the last meeting. The Saints are allowing just 29.9% of opponents' shots to hit the target, the third-best mark in the league.
Southampton do a good job of clogging passing lanes and redirecting shots. They are tied for fifth in the league in blocks (317) and are third in both tackles (474) and fouls (285). James Ward-Prowse is the key man for Southampton, and he has scored six times. New additions Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu give the Saints more versatility up top and could start to break through. The 6-foot-6 Onuachu had 16 goals in 19 matches with Genk to lead the Belgian First Division, and the 20-year-old Sulemana played for Ghana at the World Cup.
How to make Southampton vs. Leicester City picks
Green has scrutinized the Leicester City vs. Southampton match from every angle, and he is leaning Under on the goal total. He also provides two confident best bets and has a full breakdown of the match. He's only sharing his Premier League picks and analysis at SportsLine.
So, who wins Southampton vs. Leicester City? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Southampton vs. Leicester City, all from the European soccer expert who is up almost $900 on his soccer picks since the World Cup, and find out.
