Two bottom of the table teams will meet and look to guarantee their safety for next season when Newcastle United hosts Southampton FC. Newcastle are 15th in the table and seven points clear of the drop with 38 points, while Southampton are in 16th and two points behind the Magpies. The Saints have played one less game than the Magpies though, and a victory in St. James’ Park on Saturday would likely put them ahead for good.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 20, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on NBCSN.
EPL Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Newcastle United +142
Southampton FC +208
Draw +210
Over/Under 2 and 2.5
Odds Analysis
Southampton have been one of the better teams in the Premier League over the last few weeks. They have won four of their last six matches, and the two losses came at the hands of Manchester United (who were fortunate to beat them) and Liverpool. The Saints have beat bottom of the table teams like Fulham and Brighton, and they looked sharp in stunning Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves. Both of those wins came at home, and they beat Wolves 3-1 with a brace from Nathan Redmond inside of 30 minutes.
The Magpies looked sharp on the attack for about the span of a month, but they have had a hard time scoring in the month of April. Newcastle were shut out in losses to Arsenal and Crystal Palace, and they only had 28 percent of possession in a 1-0 win over Leicester City last Friday. Ayoze Perez scored the lone goal in a win that gave the Magpies some breathing room.
These two teams met in late October, and they played to a 0-0 draw. The possession was nearly even, but Southampton outshot Newcastle United 22 to 6, and the Saints put four shots on goal while the Magpies failed to put a single shot on net.
Key Injuries
Michael Obafemi has been ruled out for this match for Southampton, as he is still recovering from a thigh injury. Mario Lemina is hoping to recover from a chest injury soon, but he is a scratch for this Saturday’s game. Yan Valery is considered probable to play through a thigh injury.
Sean Longstaff suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier this year, and he will be unavailable until around August on the side of Newcastle. Florian Lejeune is likely out for the year too after a second major knee injury this campaign.
Matchup to Watch
Newcastle’s offense has centered around two players all season, Perez and Salomon Rondon. Rondon leads the team with nine goals, while Perez is just behind him with seven, and they have combined for half of the Magpies’ tallies this season. They need to get going if Newcastle are going to find the back of the net against a Southampton team that has allowed 54 goals on the year.
Prop Bet – First Half Total Over 0.5 Goals -188
Call it a hunch, but I think there will be an early goal in this game. We have seen Southampton score inside of 10 minutes in their last two outings, and those games were against solid defensive clubs Liverpool and Wolves. Newcastle can pack a punch early too, and the odds are good we see a first half goal.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
A draw could be in the cards here. Newcastle defend well and are playing at home, while Southampton have been playing good football. It would inch both teams closer to 40 points which is usually considered to mean safety, and neither side would be too unhappy with the result.
English Premier League Odds: Newcastle United 1, Southampton FC 1
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