Big Saturday Multiple: Back Saints to secure advantage in six pointer

Jonno Turner follows up a successful week with his Home and Away column by selecting three domestic sides to make up his Big Saturday Multiple.

We're focusing on the Barclays Premier League for our first pick of this three team multiple - and Southampton welcome Reading to St Marys, looking to continue their  impressive recent home form.

 

Both of these sides struggled in the early exchanges of the campaign, and searched for that elusive first top tier win for what seemed like an age.

 

The first few months of this season have been hard for these two clubs - and they find themselves making up two of the three relegation places with around a third of  their games played.

 

Nigel Adkins' Southampton side currently sit in 18th position with 12 points from 15 outings, but their home form belies their league position - and the Saints have  lost just one of their last seven in front of their own fans.

 

And 13 goals in that time suggests that the home side are certainly not struggling to hit the back of the net in recent weeks.

 

But the hosts defensive line are no slouches either - and they have stopped shipping goals like they did at the start of the season - just two goals conceded in their  last three on their own patch a case in point.

 

That will give Adkins side much confidence ahead of this six pointer, which could have a major impact on the final make up of the dropzone places come May.

 

Reading go into this one having lost their last three on the bounce, and things are looking desperate for Brian McDermott's side of late.

 

A 3-4 loss at home to Manchester United saw the Royals lauded as plucky underdogs - but if you score three goals at home, you shouldn't be losing the game.

 

More worrying for McDermott will be the previous two losses, against struggling Aston Villa and Wigan, as the visitors looked well off the pace against their fellow  strugglers.

 

Reading have not yet won a Premier League game on their travels - five losses from seven so far this season underlining the severity of their travel sickness - and I  think that they are unlikely to do so here, either.

 

Wins against Villa and QPR, and a draw against Norwich, have shown that Southampton are more than capable of mixing it with the other sides down the bottom, and I  fancy Adkins side to come out on top in this clash.

 

Bet 1: Southampton (HOME) @ 1.9

 

 

Dropping two divisions now - to League One - as in-form Coventry City welcome Walsall to the Ricoh Arena in a West Midlands derby.

 

The Sky Blues have chalked up some impressive results in recent weeks - and five unbeaten from their last half a dozen suggests that the decision to replace ex boss  Andy Thorn with current incumbent Mark Robins was a wise one.

 

Three unbeaten in the league will give the hosts confidence ahead of this one, and they have now moved into 15th position in the table following a miserable start to  the campaign.

 

Incredibly, City - who looked down and out after the opening six or seven outings of the season - are now just 10 points off a play-off place, and if they can continue  their current momentum, you'd have to be a brave person to bet against them troubling the top seven in the coming few weeks.

 

This Sky Blues squad is overflowing with quality, and the likes of Moussa, McGoldrick and McSheffrey will be eyeing a place back in the second tier next season.

 

Walsall make the short trip to Coventry having endured a miserable few months - and 14 games without a win has seen the Saddlers drop like a stone.

 

Dean Smith's side are now just three points above the relegation places, and look completely devoid of confidence of late.

 

It's six games since the visitors won on the road, and just one clean sheet from their last four suggests that their defensive weaknesses could be instrumental in the  outcome of this tie.

 

Walsall struggled to a draw with bottom side Hartlepool United in their last League One encounter - and I don't think things will be getting much better for the away  side this weekend.

 

Bet 2: Coventry City (HOME) @ 1.85

 

 

Turning our attentions to League Two for our final pick of the day - and Oxford United host struggling Aldershot Town at the Kassam Stadium.

Chris Wilder's Oxford side have underperformed this season, and go into this game sitting in 18th place in the table.

 

But the home side's form belies their current league standing, and just one loss from their last six on their own patch is the kind of return which will have sides  placed much higher looking on in envy.

 

So tight is the bottom tier that the U's are just seven points away from a the top six - and a win in this game would be a huge boost to the hosts.

 

Three clean sheets from their last five on their own patch suggests that Oxford have tightened up at the back considerably since the opening exchanges, and Wilder will  be desperate to continue those good defensive showings here.

 

Aldershot travel to their hosts having won just one from their last six - and that leaves the Shots in the relegation zone with around a third of the season played.

 

Dean Holdsworth's side will have had their confidence knocked by a 3-1 home defeat to Port Vale last time out, and the Recreation Ground club will be keen to correct  that slump here.

 

Just three goals in six games suggests that attacking isn't the visitors strong point, and former striker Holdsworth will be hoping that his charges can find a bit  more luck in front of goal at the Kassam.

 

Bet 3: Oxford United (HOME) @ 2

 

Bet HERE !

Viewed 470 times