Southampton vs Watford Prediction (13.04.2024)

Southampton are in the playoff places, but not in particularly great form at the moment, something they'll be aiming to fix in the final few games of the season. They host Watford at the St Mary's Stadium on Saturday, a side who are in the middle of the table with nothing really to play for.

The mindset of Southampton is something I'm struggling to get a grip on right now. I feel like they're cruising towards the playoffs, and keeping healthy but they risk not being in form, and still being a little negative, after dropping out of the automatic promotion battle some weeks ago.

They come here on the back of a win in midweek, where they won 2-1 at home to Coventry, and it was a much needed victory for them. But before that, three games without a win as they drew with Blackburn and Middlesbrough, while losing to Ipswich in the middle of those two. They have six games left, due to some in hand, but need to use them to prepare and get in form for the playoffs.

Watford begin the week in 14th position, and due to their mid table position, they don't really have anything to play for. But that hasn't stopped them from seeing some pretty good football, and they've shown there is hope for the future under boss Valarian Ismael.

They come here five games unbeaten, winning the first of those and then drawing the last four. While that's seven points from five games, and not anything special, it shows they can battle and avoid defeat, something which is beginning to look like a trait of Ismael and his team.

In midweek, they drew 0-0 at Ipswich, before that, they've drawn with Preston, West Brom and Leeds. All four are above them, two are chasing automatic promotion and one is in the playoffs, so I think their form is better than it looks to be on paper, those are some good points.

I think there is some really good value available here on Watford to avoid defeat when they go to Southampton, and make it six games without a loss. I am backing them on the double chance market, to win the game or get a draw, which I think offers solid value against a Southampton side that aren't showing their best just yet.