Birmingham vs Southampton Prediction: Armstrong to spearhead Saints’ charge

Championship action continues on Monday evening when Birmingham City welcome Southampton to St Andrew's (8.15pm Sky Sports Football) in a clash between two sides desperate to halt their festive slumps and regain momentum heading into 2026. Birmingham remain stuck in the lower reaches of mid‑table after an inconsistent December, while Southampton's early surge under Tonda Eckert has stalled following back‑to‑back setbacks, including a Boxing Day defeat at Oxford that dented their play-off push.

The Saints still possess one of the division's most dangerous forwards in Adam Armstrong, who has an outstanding record against the Blues and will again be central to their attacking threat. Read on for my Birmingham vs Southampton predictions with the latest match odds and team news.

Team News

Birmingham are without captain Christoph Klarer, who begins a three‑match suspension after his red card against Derby. The Blues also lost Demarai Gray to a muscular issue during the Boxing Day draw, and Chris Davies does not expect his influential winger to recover in time.

Defensive options remain stretched as Alex Cochrane is unlikely to feature and Tommy Doyle is suspended, meaning Phil Neumann is expected to deputise at centre‑back and Eirin Cashin may again be required to fill in at left‑back.

Football Odds

Southampton welcomed back Tom Fellows and skipper Jack Stephens at Oxford, but Eckert remains without Shea Charles and Mads Roerslev. Striker Ross Stewart has returned to training but is still short of match fitness. Elias Jelert could be added to the travelling squad.

Today's Football Fixtures

Birmingham vs Southampton Odds

Birmingham are the 11/8 favourites to claim all three points, with Southampton 15/8 for an away win and the draw priced at 12/5. Over 2.5 goals is 4/5, while both teams to score is 8/13.

Championship top scorer Adam Armstrong is 8/5 to score at any time, while Birmingham’s leading threat - Jay Stansfield - is priced at 9/2 to net first.

Adam Armstrong Anytime Goalscorer @ 8/5

Armstrong's scoring pedigree at this level is well established, and the numbers strongly favour him adding to his tally on Monday.

He has scored seven goals in his last nine Championship appearances and accounts for almost a third of Southampton's 37 league goals this season. He also has an extraordinary 11 goals in 11 career matches against Birmingham.

Although he has gone three games without scoring, Armstrong continues to generate high‑quality chances. His instinctive volley at Oxford was brilliantly saved by Jamie Cumming, denying him what would have been his 12th league goal of the campaign.

Given Birmingham's defensive issues - only Leicester have conceded more goals over the last six rounds - Armstrong should get opportunities. His movement between the lines and sharp finishing make him excellent value to strike again.

Southampton to Win & Over 2.5 Goals @ 10/3

Southampton remain one of the Championship's most productive attacking sides, ranking fourth for goals scored and third for total shots (247). They have also struck the woodwork 12 times, more than any other team - a sign of how close they have come to adding even more goals.

Birmingham, meanwhile, continue to leak chances. They have conceded exactly once in each of their last four home matches, but their overall defensive record is concerning, and they have already received four red cards, the most in the division.

Eckert's side may have hit a bump in the road, but their underlying numbers remain strong. With Armstrong, Cameron Archer and Leo Scienza offering pace and penetration, Southampton should create enough to win a high‑scoring contest.

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