Southampton vs Coventry Prediction: St Mary’s thriller on the cards

Southampton will look to continue their charge towards the play-offs when they take on Championship leaders Coventry City on Saturday at St Mary's (12:30 GMT, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football).

The Saints have turned their season around under Tonda Eckert and they are only four points off the top six going into the Christmas period. Coventry are the team to try and beat in the second tier this season and Frank Lampard's troops have a five-point cushion at the top of the table. Southampton fell to a 2-1 defeat to Norwich last time out, while Coventry battled hard to beat Bristol City 1-0. Read on for my Southampton vs Coventry predictions.

Team News

Southampton's Tom Fellows remains a doubt after missing the defeat to Norwich with a knock.

Ross Stewart and Samuel Edozie both remain sidelined with hamstring injuries, while Damion Downs remains in the treatment room and he has become a bit-part figure on the South Coast, having only made 11 appearances.

Coventry playmaker Brandon Thomas-Asante is sidelined with a hamstring injury, yet he remains the Sky Blues' leading scorer in the Championship.

Goalkeeper Oliver Dovin is still recovering from a long-term knee injury.

Southampton vs Coventry Odds

While they will have home advantage on Saturday, Southampton are 7/5 to win this fixture. The draw is 13/5, while Coventry are the marginal favourites at 7/4.

Over 2.5 goals can be backed at 8/13, while those who expect a cagey contest can back Under 1.5 goals at 7/2.

Both teams to score is on offer at 1/2, while Adam Armstrong is the favourite to score anytime at 13/10.

Draw @ 13/5

If this game had been played a few months ago, the prediction would have been a lot different. Southampton could barely buy a win under former manager Will Still, but Eckert has transformed the club's fortunes and he has them in promotion contention.

While last week's 2-1 defeat to Norwich was a setback, Saints have turned St Mary's into a fortress in the previous few weeks.

After five matches without a win at home, they have now won four in a row, scoring three goals in each of those ties.

Coventry have the best away record in the Championship, but they have stuttered slightly in the last few weeks, winning two of their last five on the road.

The two teams should butt heads from the first whistle, and the outlook is they will need to share the points.

Both teams to score @ 1/2

Southampton's vast improvement in front of goal is impossible to ignore and 12 goals in four home games suggests they should be able to score against the Sky Blues.

City have not kept a clean sheet in their last three away, but they will expect to find the back of the net themselves, having scored 26 away goals this season, seven more than any other team on their travels in the Championship.

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