Southampton v Brentford Betting Tips [18 December 2021]

Southampton are on a poor run, which they will be looking to arrest when they host Brentford in their next league game. The two sides are looking to rise to the top half, with Brentford the better placed at the moment. The visitors are on 20 points, and in 12th place while Southampton have 17 points in 15th place. Southampton failed to hold on to a lead for the fourth time in six matches as they drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace in their last game. Their defending will come to question again in this game; they haven’t done well in that area this season. In their last six matches, they have no clean sheet, shipping in 14 goals, but the attack has failed to score in just two of those six matches – against Liverpool and Arsenal. Four of their last five matches have produced over 2.5 goals and injuries have been a major aspect in their poor defensive run. They are even operating with an emergency signing in goal – the veteran Willy Caballero, who has conceded five times in the last two matches.

Brentford haven’t had a very smooth run lately, after a fine start to the campaign, but will view this as a game they can win. They’ve had ample rest, having had no midweek activity after their match against Manchester United was called off. In three of their last five matches they’ve battled from losing positions to win points and it is this fighting spirit that will lift them as they look to survive in the league. In their last game, they came from down to beat Watford 2-1 with two goals in the final six minutes. While they haven’t been the best defensively, they will be happy to learn that Southampton aren’t the best at holding on leads. Brentford have conceded two or more goals in three of their last five matches but have also scored two or more in three of their last five matches. Also, three of their last five matches have produced over 2.5 goals.

These two sides aren’t the best defensively; Brentford’s only clean sheet in the last five matches was against a struggling Everton side. Southampton do not have a clean sheet in the last five matches, and both teams have had high-scoring games ahead of this. Go for over 2.5 goals here as well.