Southampton 2018-19 Premier League Betting Odds
- To Win Title: +65000
- To Be Relegated: +700
- Point Total: 44.5 (Over +100/Under -130)
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In their first few seasons back in the Premier League, Southampton showed steady progress toward the top half of the table. Unfortunately, that took a drastic turn for the worse last year, as it looked like Saints were a lock for relegation for much of the season. That changed in the second-to-last week of the season, as Manolo Gabbiadini (pictured above) was able to salvage the campaign with a late winner at Swansea.
Southampton made a desperation switch at manager in March when things looked bleak, bringing in Mark Hughes — who was just fired by now-relegated Stoke — to keep them afloat. The move was derided, but Hughes was able to get the job done.
Southampton had way too much talent to be fighting for relegation last season, even after selling wantaway Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool in January. This year, however, is a bit of a different story, as Southampton will need to replace a lot of talent, most notably Dusan Tadic.
Southampton's key signing this summer was Mohamed Elyounoussi, a young star from Basel in the Swiss League. The hope is that the Norway international can provide the offensive spark and help ease the scoring burden on Gabbiadini.
Southampton were a bit unlucky in 2017-18, as they were expected to accrue 12 more points than they actually tallied, per Understat. That gap was the second-largest in the Premier League, behind only Crystal Palace.
The Bet To Watch
Even though there is still talent at St. Mary's, Southampton didn't improve much over the transfer window, and that means a lot will be expected from Elyounoussi. He is a very skilled player, but I am not sure he'll be able to be the difference-maker who propels this team back into the top half of the table.
Things at the bottom of the table are expected to be really tight. Fulham and Wolves are much better than most newly promoted sides, and there's not much to separate teams like Watford, Brighton and Bournemouth. I don't think Southampton will ultimately go down, but they will struggle to get enough traction to vault into the top half. Thus, I think the best bet is to back Southampton to finish in the bottom half at -180
All odds current as of 12 p.m. Aug. 6.
