EFL Championship: Southampton vs Wrexham - Betting Tips, Odds & Prediction

Wrexham begin life at the EFL Championship with a daunting assignment. The Red Dragons are set to face Premier League-tested Southampton in their Championship opener.

Just three months ago, two divisions stood between these clubs. Now, Southampton and Wrexham meet in a league clash for the first time in more than six decades. 

We’ll have a deeper look at this blockbuster fixture and explore what betting sites in NZ have to offer, including some recommended picks for this match. 

Southampton

The road to redemption begins on Saturday for Southampton after their short-lived return to the Premier League last season. Despite their recent fall from grace, legal betting sites see them as hot favourites to start their push for another promotion with a victory this week. 

Southampton enter the new campaign as second favourites for the Championship crown on betting apps and will be keen to lay down a marker with a strong start against newly promoted Wrexham. Saints fans will also get to see their new manager Will Stills take charge of a competitive match for the first time in this local lunchtime fixture. 

Team News: Tyler Dibling has been training alone as he moves closer to a step away from St. Mary’s. So, the winger will not feature against Wrexham. 

Predicted Lineup: Bazunu; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bella-Kotchap, Manning; Downes, Charles; Dibling, Fernandes, Edozie; Archer.

Wrexham

Wrexham became the talk of the football world when Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds acquired the club. The franchise has done remarkably well since then and lived up to the sky-high expectations. 

Phil Parkinson took charge when the club was in the National League. Under his watch, the Red Dragons have won 291 league points in their last three campaigns and secured three successive promotions. 

The leap to the Championship might be their most daunting hurdle so far, and facing title-chasing Southampton in the opener promises a trial by fire.

Team News: Kieffer Moore has joined Wrexham from Championship rivals Sheffield United recently, but the Southampton match might come too soon for the Welsh striker. 

Predicted Lineup: Okonkwo; Coady, Cleworth, Brunt; Longman, O'Brien, Lee, Windass, Cacace; Hardie, Smith.

• Southampton have won only two of their last 31 competitive matches.
• Wrexham have not trailed at half-time in their last 13 away matches.
• Wrexham are unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions. 

Wrexham have strengthened over the summer, but with a squad still largely built for League One, their Championship debut at Southampton could prove a tough outing. The odds on football betting sites largely reflect this. 

Their pre-season tour saw Wrexham travel to Australia and New Zealand, starting with a win over Melbourne Victory but suffering defeats to Sydney and the Wellington Phoenix, before finishing in the Netherlands with a loss to Groningen.

After a torrid campaign that saw them claim only 12 points and finish last in the Premier League, Southampton narrowly dodged matching Derby County’s record for the lowest points total in the division’s history. 

Despite avoiding this unwanted record, it remains the club’s poorest top-flight season. Manager Still has a significant job ahead as he looks to turn things around and lead the Saints back toward promotion.

That said, Southampton have a side strong enough for Championship dominance. They might face strong competition from Wrexham, but they have the firepower to win this.

Southampton 2-1 Wrexham @ $8.50

Wrexham will be hopeful of continuing their magical run, but as things stand, they don’t have the squad quality to challenge the Championship’s finest sides. Southampton have lost some key players after their Premier League relegation, but they still have a strong team and will be in front of a lively home crowd. Wrexham should put up a good fight, but Southampton will edge this in a 2-1 affair, which is priced at a handy $8.50 at 20Bet.