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EPL Betting – Leicester Can Close in on Title vs Southampton

Zack Garrison

by Zack Garrison in News

Updated Jan 17, 2018 · 9:39 AM PST

Southampton (+215) at Leicester (+125), Draw (+225)

Leicester City’s quest for the English Premier League title continues this Sunday when they host Southampton at King Power Stadium in the EPL’s 32nd fixture (7:30 AM Eastern).

Leicester are seven games away from pulling off one of the most incredible upsets in soccer history. The Foxes looked destined to fight off relegation at the beginning of the season; instead, they have a five-point lead in the race to the title, sitting on 66 points. And with three straight wins before the FIFA break, Leicester are the hottest team in the EPL.

Their closest rival, Tottenham, are on 61. After that, there is a massive 11-point gap to Arsenal and 15 to Man City.

Jamie Vardy has been a revelation for the team up front, scoring 19 goals in 31 matches. (He also scored twice for England in recent friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands.) But the defense has been equally responsible for the team’s remarkable performance. The squad has bought, wholesale, into the schemes of Italian coach Claudio Ranieri and are allowing just one goal per game on average.

Last year? They surrendered 55 goals in the 38-game season (1.45 GPG).

Southampton are having a nice season in their own right, currently seventh in the standings with 47 points, just three back of Manchester United and West Ham. For the Saints, reaching the top-five is now the goal, as it would earn the team a spot in next season’s Europa League.

Southampton won their last two before the FIFA break, including an impressive comeback victory against Liverpool. Saints trailed 2-0 at the half, but stormed back with three unanswered in the final 45 minutes (Sadio Mane (64′); Graziano Pelle (83′); Sadio Mane (86′)).

The offensive outburst was rare for the defensively-focused squad, which averages 1.3 GPG (41 goals in 31 matches).

Don’t expect offensive fireworks from either team this weekend. Both teams have some firepower, but both tend to get their chances on the counterattack. I don’t expect Leicester to change up their game plan much at home, but I do expect them to pick up their third straight home win over Southampton.

Pick: Leicester (+125).

(Photo Credit: Pioeb (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.)

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