Southampton vs Chelsea Prediction, Odds and Lineups: Back this 12/1 Bet Builder tonight

A Southampton side struggling for form and without a number of players take on an in-form Chelsea at St Mary's in the Premier League, live on Amazon Prime tonight at 7:30pm.

We have pieced together two bets for the game, including a 12/1 Bet Builder.

Chelsea are the clear 8/25 favourites to secure the spoils, while Southampton are out at 15/2 to claim only their second win of the campaign.

The Saints have endured a tough campaign, managing only five points from a possible 39 since their return to the Premier League. Rooted to the bottom of the table, they are four points adrift of safety and have lost 19 of their last 25 top-flight matches dating back to the 2022/23 season. On top of that, they will be without a host of regulars on Wednesday due to multiple injuries and suspensions, with the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tyler Dibling and Flynn Downes all banned.

While an upset at St Mary's seems unlikely, Russell Martin's side can draw encouragement from recent performances. They narrowly lost 3-2 to league leaders Liverpool in their last home game and were unfortunate not to beat Brighton last week after VAR controversially disallowed a Cameron  Archer goal.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are in fine form. The Blues are riding a three-game winning streak across all competitions, including an emphatic 3-0 victory over Aston Villa. That win keeps them level with Arsenal in third place and two points clear of reigning champions Manchester City.

Only Tottenham (28) have scored more goals than Chelsea (26) this season. With their attacking prowess - led by the in-form Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson - Chelsea represent an appealing price at 6/4 to win and both teams to score, a bet that has landed in seven of their last 16 Premier League outings.

Southampton's defensive frailties remain a concern, conceding 25 goals in 13 matches and managing just one clean sheet in 25 games. They’ve lost but found the net in four of their last eight games, hinting at the potential for an open contest.

This clash features the Premier League's two most ill-disciplined sides when it comes to yellow cards. Chelsea lead the league with 47 yellows, closely followed by Southampton at 44; no other team has reached the 40s. With odds-on for over 4.5 cards in the match, bookmakers clearly expect a heated encounter.

Southampton will be without yellow card merchants Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tyler Dibling, and Flynn Downes, who are all serving suspensions after accumulating five yellows apiece this term. However, they still have other contributors to their card tally, such as Kyle Walker-Peters, who has been booked twice in his last three games. At an appealing 23/5, he’s a very appealing pick to see yellow again on Wednesday.

I've paired Walker-Peters to be booked with a goal from Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson to create a 12/1 Bet Builder with BetMGM.

Jackson has been in fine form, with eight league goals this season, including strikes in Chelsea's recent victories over Leicester and Aston Villa. The forward, who netted 14 goals last season, will relish the opportunity to exploit Southampton’s shaky and error-prone defence. Russell Martin’s unwavering commitment to his philosophy often leaves his side extremely vulnerable, and Jackson should find plenty of chances to add to his tally at St. Mary’s.

Southampton vs Chelsea Lineups

Southampton are without the suspended Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Flynn Downes and Tyler Dibling, while their Chelsea loanee Lesley Ugochukwu is ineligible to face his parent club.

Chelsea will be without Wesley Fofana and Reece James.

Check out the full linesups for Southampton vs Chelsea below.