Southampton and West Ham United will do battle in the Premier League on Boxing Day.
Southampton vs West Ham United best bets
- West Ham United to win – 11/10 with bet365
- Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals – 10/11 with Paddy Power
- Jarrod Bowen to score any time – 8/5 with Betfred
Southampton vs West Ham United odds
Find the latest match odds for Southampton vs West Ham United. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
Southampton vs West Ham United predictions
Ivan Juric is inheriting an extremely difficult situation. The former Roma boss has been appointed as Southampton’s next manager, tasked with trying to keep the club in the Premier League this season.
That will be tough. Southampton have won one of their first 17 fixtures since promotion. They have collected only six points so far and are eight points adrift of safety. The bookies have them down as odds-on favourites to finish bottom.
It makes you wonder why Juric agreed to take over at St Mary’s Stadium. The Croatian has signed an 18-month contract, which hardly screams long-term. He has spent the last few years in Serie A but will almost certainly be a Championship manager in 2025/26.
Not that Juric will necessarily think that. He will doubtless believe that Southampton are still in with a chance of survival. It is likely that he has been promised a certain amount of investment in the January transfer window to aid his new side’s efforts.
Juric watched his new charges from the stands at Craven Cottage on Sunday, as a team led by interim boss Simon Rusk ground out a 0-0 draw with Fulham.
Rusk introduced a much-needed dose of pragmatism to Southampton’s tactics and Juric will look to continue in the same vein going forward. At the time of writing we have not received official confirmation, but Juric is expected to have his work permit accepted in time for him to be in the dugout on Boxing Day
The new manager has already given an indication of how he wants his team to play. We should expect more energy without the ball and a willingness to mix things up in possession, as opposed to the possession-obsessed philosophy of Russell Martin.
“I will try to be much more aggressive, to do much more pressing and try to be quick and change mentality, and this is my idea of football,” Juric said at his unveiling.
A victory over West Ham United would be the ideal Christmas gift for Southampton fans. A defeat, on the other hand, would only underline the difficulty of the task in front of Juric.
Southampton vs West Ham United betting tips
Can Southampton boost their survival chances when they host West Ham United?
West Ham United to win
Julen Lopetegui has eased the pressure on his shoulders with a three-game unbeaten sequence.
West Ham United have not exactly sparkled in recent weeks, but a victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers and back-to-back draws with Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion have at least stopped the rot at the London Stadium.
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Lopetegui will believe his team can still finish in the top half of the Premier League, from which they are presently separated by five points.
Juric has had very little time to work with his new players and that will probably be a factor here.
West Ham have more quality at their disposal than Southampton, so it makes sense to choose an away win on the south coast.
Back West Ham United to win at 11/10 with bet365
Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals
Southampton have made a league-high 11 errors leading to a goal this season. No other team in the division is in double figures.
Many of those mistakes came from Martin’s insistence on his side playing out from the back, come what may. If Juric adopts a more pragmatic approach in that regard, Southampton should automatically tighten up at the back.
Yet as we discussed above, the Croatian has not even been in the building for a week. It will take time for him to get his ideas across.
That means Southampton’s defence will be tested by West Ham United in this one. Yet with the home crowd behind them, we fancy the Saints to find the back of the net too.
Goals at both ends and at least three in total looks like a wise bet for when these two teams go head-to-head.
Tip both teams to score and over 2.5 goals at 10/11 with Paddy Power
Jarrod Bowen to score any time
After 57 minutes of West Ham United’s draw with Brighton on Saturday, Nicklas Fullkrug went off and Jarrod Bowen was redeployed at centre-forward.
As a result of that change, the Hammers immediately carried more of a threat in attack.
Bowen is therefore likely to start through the middle against Southampton, whose defenders will have to keep a close eye on him.
The England international has been a fantastic player for the club. Last season was a difficult one for David Moyes’ men, but Bowen still contributed 20 goals in all competitions.
His Premier League tally for the current campaign stands at four, a return that Bowen will be desperate to improve upon. He can start doing exactly that against Southampton.
Select Jarrod Bowen to score any time at 8/5 with Betfred
How to watch Southampton vs West Ham United
- Location: St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, England.
- Date and time: Thursday 26th December, 3pm.
- How to watch: Amazon Prime Video.
Read more about the 2024/25 football season
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- Premier League top scorer odds
- Premier League relegation odds
- Champions League winner odds
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About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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