Liverpool v Southampton: Reds great value in handicap stakes
Published:Liverpool surrendered their eight-match unbeaten run at White Hart Lane last time out and will be desperate for a return to winning ways when a rejuvenated Southampton side rock up at Anfield.
Three points for the hosts is priced at 4/9 and doesn’t offer much room for a windfall, but with Uruguayan livewire Luis Suarez at the ready, they are more than capable of winning this game by a comfortable margin.
The Saints don’t seem to know how to play any other way than attacking and, as commendable as this is, it’s going to see them ship plenty of goals, especially against sides boasting players of Suarez’s calibre.
Defensively, the Reds have looked relatively strong under Brendan Rodgers. They kept four clean sheets in the eight Premier League games between their 5-2 win over Norwich and 2-1 defeat to Tottenham and, had it not been for the manager’s unfathomably obscure decision to play Stewart Downing at left back, they may have prevented at least one of Spurs’ goals last time out.
Assuming he ditches this ridiculous ploy ahead of Southampton’s visit to Merseyside, they stand every chance of slamming the door in Nigel Adkins’ sides’ face, who are far from prolific on their travels.
This should divert punters to the handicap markets in search good value bets, and Liverpool to win with a two-goal deficit applied is well worth a dabble at 29/10. They’re also 21/20 to win with a one-goal handicap applied which also has potential for profit.
A home win by a three-goal margin can be had at 6/1 and given the Saints’ defensive shortcomings this is a long way from impossible.
The Reds’ fans have endured more draws than anything else in the league, but their last home game saw them record a 3-0 win over a Wigan side who are not entirely dissimilar from Southampton in their style of play and, if Suarez is on song, he’s likely to hurt the visitors here.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
