Southampton vs Bristol City Prediction: Saints to continue their charge for second

Southampton will have been pleased to see Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough draw on Sunday as it leaves them just one point behind the Tractor Boys, who sit second, in the Championship table. Southampton are in action on Tuesday as they welcome Bristol City to St. Mary's (19:45 BST, Sky Sports+).

The Robins suffered a 4-2 home defeat against Norwich City last time out, which does not bode well for their trip to the South Coast to face the form side in the division. My Southampton vs Bristol City predictions can be found below, alongside the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Cameron Archer and Shea Charles will be pushing to start for Southampton on Tuesday after both came off the bench to score in the win over Swansea City last time out.

Mads Roerslev is the Saints' only player out injured right now.

Football Odds

Bristol City's defence is still depleted because of long-term injuries to Rob Dickie, Rob Atkinson, George Tanner and Luke McNally.

This has forced Jason Knight, a midfielder by trade, into a right-back role in recent weeks.

Scott Twine bagged a brace in the 3-1 victory in October's reverse fixture, and he is set to feature in attack.

Southampton vs Bristol City Odds

Southampton are the 4/9 favourites here, which is not surprising as they have won their past seven matches in the league.

Bristol City played out a draw on their last away trip against Queens Park Rangers, and the stalemate here is 18/5. The Robins are a 6/1 bet to do the double over the Saints.

Archer has scored in consecutive fixtures for the hosts and he is 13/10 to strike anytime on Tuesday.

Today's Football Fixtures

Handicap +1 - Southampton -1 @ 23/20

Southampton are in outstanding form and they have a real shot of taking the second automatic promotion spot. After a slow start under Will Still, many thought the best the Saints could muster was a play-off charge.

Their squad was always too good not to be in the promotion picture but even Tonda Eckert has exceeded expectations with his side's form in the past few months. The Saints haven't suffered a loss in the league since a home defeat to Hull City on January 17.

Southampton are 16 games unbeaten in the Championship, and they have won 13 of them. A seven-game winning streak has taken them to within a point of Ipswich in second, and they still have to face the Tractor Boys before the season's end - so start buying your snacks now.

Against Bristol City, I think they will win again. They have the best form in the division. I think they are worth covering with a -1 handicap because this has been a winning selection in three of their last five home matches in the second tier.

Clean Sheet - Southampton @ 11/10

I am also expecting the Saints to stand firm on home turf. Another smart play would be backing the home team to keep a clean sheet, which they have accomplished in six of their previous eight home outings in the Championship.

Additionally, Bristol City have failed to score in four of their eight most recent games in the league, including their last away trip against QPR.

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.