Championship: Birmingham City vs Southampton Odds and Betting Preview

BIRMINGHAM, UK - Birmingham City host Southampton on Saturday evening in front of the Sky cameras in a game which could have big implications for the promotion race in the Championship. Birmingham have the home advantage and are best at 6/5 (bet £5 to win £6) to beat Saints, who have a shaky away record in the league this year. Southampton are best at 13/5 to win the game with Bet Victor while punters can get the draw at 12/5, also a top price with Bet Victor.

It's 4th at home to 5th, with only 5 points separating the two teams in a very tight league. Southampton were top of the league throughout the Autumn and Christmas, but West Ham were also right behind them and now Saints have been usurped by the Hammers with a two point gap between the two teams. Birmingham, trying to get back into the Premier League at the first attempt after their agonising relegation on the last day of last season, are one of many teams who could find themselves in the play-off places come May. Only 1 point separates Birmingham in 4th, and Reading in 8th. 

While Birmingham's away form has really let them down this season (7 defeats in 15 games), their home form has been nothing short of imperious. They have dropped points on only four occasions, with four draws, eight wins and zero defeats at St Andrews. Birmingham are a top price of 2/1 with Ladbrokes to keep a clean sheet, which they have done on six occasions at home this season. 

5 of their 8 home wins have been to nil, and they are a top price of 11/4 with Sky Bet to win to nil this Saturday evening. Saints do have the third best away attack in the league however, scoring on average 1.54 goals per game on the road, failing to score in less than 1 in 4 away games. Saints are 4/1 with Boylesports and Bet Victor to score in both halves, while you can get 12/5 with both Coral and Ladbrokes on Birmingham scoring in both halves.

Saints have an underwhelmin away record, winning only four away games in the league all season, and those four all coming against opposition from the lower half of the table. They are yet to play most of the best teams in the division away as well, with only Cardiff City having hosted Southampton from the top 7 places (the South Wales side coming out on top 2-1 in that game). 

They have only failed to score three times on the road however, and you can get 4/6 with Boylesports and Coral for Saints to win with a (+1) handicap. To win by 2 goals or more is 7/1 with Bet Victor for the away side, while it is 14/5 with Boylesports for the home side to win with a (-1) goal handicap.

Birmingham are 9/4 with Bet365 to be winning at half-time and full-time, but if you think they will start slow but ultimately come out on top, it is 9/2 with Coral for a Draw/Birmingham City in the same half-time/full-time market. 

The match kicks off at 1720 GMT and is live on Sky Sports.

Match Result Odds