bet365
BetMGM
William Hill
Betfred
BetUK
LiveScoreBet
10Bet
Virgin Bet
Southampton vs Preston North End Predictions predictions for This Championship. It feels edgy at St Mary’s. Southampton are only three points above the drop and the mood is twitchy after a run that keeps promising but rarely delivering. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
▾
Southampton’s late-game control keeps wobbling: six draws already and three straight home stalemates. Preston score in most away trips and defend set plays well. With Whiteman calm and Iversen assured, margins narrow. Expect structured visitors to claim something, even if Saints’ pressure spikes in patches and the crowd surges late.
▾
Saints’ draw habit meets Preston’s away punch. Hosts craft phases but struggle to close; Lilywhites counter, threaten from restarts. One each fits trend lines: control traded, few clear chances, and late territory without decisive finishing touch.
Southampton vs Preston North End Predictions and Best Bets
- Southampton’s draw machine keeps humming – Six draws in 12 league matches and three straight home stalemates show control without closure, with October’s leads repeatedly slipping in the final third of games.
- PNE travel with scoring belief – Preston have scored in four of five away league fixtures, blending set-play threat with quick counters; even when the shape wobbles, their forwards keep finding moments.
- Game-state volatility leans towards safety-first value – Southampton’s league-high BTTS rate across the campaign and Preston’s recent concessions suggest tight margins, and a double chance protects against late swings.
Will Baggies’ control and set-piece craft squeeze a bruised Owls side?
Will Still’s side keep drawing lines in the sand, then stepping on them. Preston North End arrive with a spring in their step after that rollicking comeback over Sheffield United, sitting on the edge of the top six and smelling an opportunity. The data says this could swing either way; the pressure says it might boil. And, yes, the atmosphere on the south coast will be honest, maybe even a bit spiky.
Match Context and Tactical Themes
Southampton have registered only two league wins from 12, and the story of October was painfully familiar: early leads, then control slipping. Six draws, four defeats, and the sense of a side stuck between secure structure and daring aggression. The 3-4-3 has persisted, with Ryan Manning set to continue at left wing-back due to Welington’s suspension, and Ross Stewart still sidelined. Expect Mads Roerslev and Flynn Azaz to be vital in moving the ball through midfield lanes, while Shea Charles provides the anchor. The front three of Adam Armstrong, Cameron Archer and Lucas Scienza have to be cleaner with final actions; the approach work is fine, the finish is not.
Preston are trending in a different direction. Paul Heckingbottom’s unit look far more convinced of themselves, even with injuries nibbling at the depth. The XI is settled, the principles clear: a three-at-the-back base, wing-backs to pin territory, and forwards who attack crosses with intent. Liam Delap isn’t here; this is a Jebbison–Dobbin pairing, and they earned the right to start again by flipping a 0-2 into 3-2. Ben Whiteman’s distribution plus Alistair Devine’s energy give the Lilywhites rhythm through the middle, while the back line of Jordan Storey, Liam Gibson and Andrew Hughes has handled box defence with a no-nonsense air.
Best Bet for This Match
Preston North End Double Chance (Win or Draw)
Here at BettingTips4You, we do not throw ten different picks at you and hope one lands. We give you one carefully chosen Best Bet per match. Quality over quantity, always. It keeps the decision simple and the accountability crystal clear: either our best bet was good value or it wasn’t. For Southampton vs Preston North End, our single selection is Preston North End Double Chance (Win or Draw) — the ultimate call for this clash.
Now, why back it? Southampton’s profile screams volatility: six draws in twelve, and October’s habit of taking a lead then letting it slip. They’ve collected three successive home league stalemates, two finishing 0-0, which flatters their defensive record but also hints at a side short of ruthless edge when matches tighten. The system works to a point, yet the last pass and late-game control are inconsistent. Preston, by contrast, have built a repeatable game model: strong set-piece detail, clear counter-mechanisms, and front players willing to gamble across the near post. They are not flawless away (W1, D2, L2), but they’ve scored in four of five on the road and conceded in four of five — which matters here, because it drags game states into the kind of wrestling match PNE handle well.
Iversen’s presence behind Storey–Gibson–Hughes brings assurance under aerial pressure, and the wing-backs, notably Offiah and Small, push back opposing full-backs, reducing Southampton’s comfort in the second phase. In midfield, Whiteman dictates tempo while Devine breaks lines without overplaying, and that’s where the Lilywhites often turn pressure into territory. Up front, Lewis Dobbin and Daniel Jebbison arrive in form, which can’t be discounted at St Mary’s. For the hosts, Welington’s suspension keeps Manning in place, and while that doesn’t sink the shape, it trims rotation options. The on-ball quality of Azaz and the running of Armstrong remain threats, but if Preston manage crosses against Archer and keep Scienza away from cutback zones, they are well within the result.
BettingTips4You.com expert quote – Graham Hartshorn:
William Hill
Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets
Show Terms & Conditions
BetMGM
Bet £10 Get £40 In Free Bets
Show Terms & Conditions
bet365
Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets
Betfred
Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets
Show Terms & Conditions
10bet
100% Up To £50 On First Deposit
Show Terms & Conditions
“Southampton’s patterns look tidy, but game control late on remains fragile. Preston bring a repeatable plan, carry punch in both halves, and the double chance stacks the percentages in our favour.”
Team Focus: Who Shapes the Contest
For Southampton, look to Adam Armstrong’s channel runs to unsettle Preston’s outside centre-backs, and to Flynn Azaz’s threaded passes between Whiteman and the back line. If Charles controls transitions, the Saints can pin PNE in spurts. For the visitors, Whiteman’s diagonals to Small and Offiah can create two-on-ones on Manning and Roerslev, and the Jebbison–Dobbin movement across the front will test the communication between Nathan Wood and Japhet Quarshie. If Iversen handles direct balls into Archer calmly, Preston remove a major Southampton lever.
Correct Score Suggestion
Southampton 1–1 Preston North End. The Saints’ habit of keeping teams alive meets a Preston side that seldom leaves quietly. PNE’s structure, plus Dobbin and Jebbison’s form, balances Armstrong’s menace. A shared point feels logical.
Selected Bookmakers Offers
| |
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply. | |
| |
Open Account Offer – New Customers only. Bet £10 and get £30 in Free Bets when you join bet365. Sign up, deposit between £5 and £10 to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value settle. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs , time limits & exclusions apply. Registration Required. #Ad. 18+ Only, gambleaware.org | |
 | |
18+. Play Safe. From 00:01 on 18.10.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook (excluding Virtual markets). Further terms apply. #Ad. 18+Only, gambleaware.org | |
| |
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. | |
| |
New cust only. Opt-in required. Deposit & place a bet within 7 days and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or greater to be credited with 3 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 football. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non-UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply. Acca Club: Available to new & existing customers. 3 or more selections. Min Odds: 3/10 (1.3) per leg. Max stake: £500. Max Winnings: £200,000 per boost. Profit Boost amounts vary. Horse Racing, Greyhounds & Trotting excluded. Exclusions apply. Full T&C’s apply. 18+ GambleAware.org. | |
 | |
New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. Virtuals) 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs.+ deposit exclusions apply #Ad. 18+Only, gambleaware.org | |
| |
New bettors. Select bonus at signup or use code SPORT. Wager deposit & bonus 8x. Max qualifying bet = bonus. Valid 60 days. Odds, bet & payment limits apply. T&Cs Apply; 18+ | Please gamble responsibly #Ad. 18+Only, gambleaware.org | |
 | |
New customers only, 18+. Min deposit £10. Place a £50 bet on any sport at 2.0+ to qualify for £25 in free bets and 10 Free Spins. Free Bets and Spins valid 7 days. £0.10 Free Spins. T&Cs apply. Please bet responsibly. #Ad. 18+Only, gambleaware.org | |
| |
New members only. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook (ex. virtuals), placed & settled at 1.5 min odds in 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days, use on sportsbook only (ex. virtuals), stakes not returned. T&Cs Apply and deposit exclusions apply. Please gamble responsibly #Ad. 18+Only, gambleaware.org | |
 | |
18+ New customers only. Opt in, and bet £10 on football markets (odds 2.00+). No cash out. Get 6x£5 football free bets at specified odds for set markets, which expire after 7 days. Offer valid from 12:00 UK Time on 25/08/2023. Card payments only. T&Cs Apply | gambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly #Ad. 18+Only, gambleaware.org | |
