Leicester vs Southampton Prediction: Vardy to get party started in penultimate King Power performance

Two of the Premier League's three relegated clubs meet at the King Power Stadium on Saturday (15:00), as Leicester City host Southampton. Neither side has much to play for now with their fates already sealed, but Saints will want to move off 11 points, the number Derby County amassed in the worst-ever season by a side in 2007/08, while the Foxes will be desperate to avoid being dragged to the bottom and instead overtake Ipswich Town in 18th.

Read on for my Leicester vs Southampton predictions, accompanied by the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Leicester head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy confirmed on Thursday that goalkeeper Mads Hermansen is undergoing an operation which will see him miss the rest of this season.

“Mads Hermansen had an operation so Jakub [Stolarczyk] will be in for the rest of the season in the remaining games," said the Dutchman.

Several injury concerns were also picked up during the 3-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers last Saturday, with the likes of Ricardo Pereira, Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Facundo Buonanotte all withdrawn at Molineux.

Football Odds

Buonanotte will definitely miss out this weekend as he observes concussion protocols, while Pereira and De Cordova-Reid have been ruled out with muscular problems.

Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu are still injured and expected to miss the rest of the season.

Interim Saints boss Simon Rusk has confirmed that towering centre-forward Paul Onuachu, who missed his side's 2-1 defeat to Fulham last Saturday, is fit to feature at the King Power this weekend.

“We’re in good health," Rusk said. "Paul’s been training the last couple of days, he’s back in the mix, so that’s good news.

“Across the board we’ve had good training numbers this week, so we’ve got pretty much a clean bill of health as we stand here today.”

Rusk also offered an update on Adam Lallana, who has been assisting him in the technical area and on the training pitch following the sacking of Ivan Juric.

“With Adam, in terms of his playing, that decision is solely with him at the minute.

“Building up to this game, Adam is certainly on the coaching staff, and that’ll be a similar format this weekend as well.”

Leicester vs Southampton Odds

Leicester haven't tasted victory since January 26, yet they are 11/8 favourites for the three points this Saturday, implying a 42.1% probability, while Southampton are 2/1, or a 33.3% chance, to triumph for the first time since February 1, when they beat another lowly side, Ipswich, 2-1 away from home.

The draw is priced at 13/5, both teams to score at 4/7, and over 2.5 total goals at 8/11.

Both Teams To Score & Total Goals Over/Under +3.5 - Yes & Over 3.5 @ 15/8

Southampton (25) and Leicester City (27) are the lowest and second-lowest scorers, respectively, in this season's Premier League, but while that flies in the face of the above selection, I point you in the direction of the goals conceded column.

Only Saints (80) have shipped more goals than the Foxes (76) in the 2024/25 top flight, so, unsurprisingly, both feature in the top half of the Premier League over 3.5 goals table.

Southampton are joint-top, with 47% (16/34) of their league games this season producing at least four goals, while Leicester are joint-ninth on 35% (12/34).

Despite scoring the fewest goals in the top flight this term, Saints are joint-11th in the BTTS table, with 59% (20/34) of their fixtures so far ending with at least one effort on either side.

Earlier in the season, Southampton and Leicester played out a classic at St. Mary's, with five goals scored on the South Coast.

Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo put the hosts into a two-goal lead by the 28th minute, but Buonanotte pulled one back in the 64th minute, and further efforts from Jamie Vardy and Jordan Ayew saw the visitors turn the game around and take the three points back to the King Power.

With both clubs already relegated, I'm hopeful an entertaining contest will unfold in Leicestershire this weekend, with the hosts and visitors looking to put on a show for their beleaguered supporters.

First Goalscorer - Jamie Vardy (LEI) @ 5/1

Time is running out on the Vardy era at Leicester, with the veteran striker recently announcing that he would depart the Foxes at the end of the season following a 13-year stay.

The 38-year-old may be past his best, but he is still Leicester's leading marksman this season with seven Premier League goals - Buonanotte, Ayew and Mavidi (all four) are his closest teammates in that regard.

Vardy missed a penalty last weekend and hasn't scored since January 26, while his last non-penalty goal in the Premier League was back on December 8.

However, Saints at home is, on paper, Leicester's easiest assignment of the season, and represents the veteran striker's best chance of adding to his account for the Foxes before his summer exit.

A goal on Saturday would also move him close to the 150 Premier League goals club; currently, he is on 143, but reports suggest he has his eyes on moving to a top-flight team, so he may have further opportunities to reach that figure in 2025/26.

Vardy is 6/4 favourite in the anytime goalscorer market, but for more value, I'm backing the former England international to strike first, as he has done on two occasions already this season.

Saints have conceded first in three of their last four away games, and while Leicester haven't scored at the King Power since December 8, they've also not faced a team as bad as Saturday's visitors.

Vardy to score first, in his penultimate home appearance for City, looks like value at 5/1.

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