Southampton vs Ipswich Prediction: Saints to tee up a dramatic final day with a win

We're into the final week of the Championship season but before the last round of fixtures, there is a huge clash on Tuesday in the race for automatic promotion as Southampton and Ipswich Town collide at St. Mary's (19:45 BST, Sky Sports Main Event).

The Tractor Boys can seal promotion back to the Premier League with a victory, while three points for the Saints would give four teams a chance of finishing on Saturday. Read on for my Southampton vs Ipswich predictions, accompanied by the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Following their FA Cup semi-final defeat on Saturday, Southampton boss Tonda Eckert is expected to bring fresh legs into the side for this crunch clash.

Shea Charles, Kuryu Matsuki and Cyle Larin are all candidates for recalls, but former Ipswich man Flynn Downes is out through suspension.

Defender Jack Stephens is dealing with a calf issue, so he is a doubt for this match.

Football Odds

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna may look to add big-hitters Marcelino Nunez and Jaden Philogene to his team on the South Coast.

McKenna has a decision to make at the top end of the pitch between George Hirst and Ivan Azon. Leif Davis' hamstring injury looks to keep him out of this fixture.

Southampton vs Ipswich Odds

Southampton have won 13 of their past 17 outings in the Championship and they are 6/5 to prevail here.

The draw can be backed at 13/5, which was the outcome in August's reverse fixture at Portman Road.

Three of Ipswich' past five away trips in the second tier have been victories, and they are 2/1 to come away with the three points to effectively seal promotion.

Four of the past five meetings in the Championship have seen both teams find the net, with BTTS - Yes valued at 4/6 on this occasion.

Today's Football Fixtures

Match Result - Southampton @ 6/5

The importance of this game for both teams and two others cannot be overstated. A win sends Ipswich back to the promised land, while victory for Southampton gives them, Millwall and Middlesbrough all a chance of taking second for themselves on Saturday.

This contest being held at St. Mary's is bad news for Ipswich because Southampton have been outstanding over the past few months. They are unbeaten in 17, winning 13 of those fixtures.

The Saints have also won five of their six most recent home games in the Championship, so the Tractor Boys will need something special to come out on top here.

But momentum is with the home side and they need to win this to keep their own automatic promotion dream alive. Eckert's men gave an excellent account of themselves against Manchester City on Saturday, so they should be more than capable of defeating Ipswich.

Anytime Goalscorer - Cyle Larin @ 7/4

Larin will have some fresh legs to offer Southampton on Tuesday, and this could spell danger for Ipswich. Since joining the club on loan from Mallorca in January, the attacker has provided six goals in 14 Championship appearances.

The 31-year-old has netted four across his six most recent outings in the second tier, and three of them have been scored in the last four league fixtures at St. Mary's. He should be full of confidence based on this form but also because Ipswich have looked vulnerable defensively in recent weeks.

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