Southampton v Lincoln City Betting Tips [20 December 2022]

The EFL Cup fourth round sees Southampton taking on Lincoln City at St Mary’s Stadium as the Premier League side returns to action for their first match since November 12th. It has been a tough season domestically for Southampton so far, who parted ways with former manager Ralph Hassenhuttl before the World Cup break to bring in former Luton Town boss Nathan Jones.  The Saints will be hoping the appointment of the 49-year-old can inspire a fightback out of the relegation zone as the club currently sits 19th in the standings with just three wins from 15 league matches. The hosts fell 3-1 to Liverpool in their last competitive match back in November in what was Jones’ first match in charge of the club. 

They’ll be hoping to get back on track against League One side Lincoln City who are languishing in mid-table in England’s third tier of football. The Imps have won six, drawn nine and lost five in their 20 league matches so far this campaign but have been on a positive run of only one loss in their last seven. The visitors' last result was a 4-2 home win over Everton U21 in the Football League Trophy on the 13th, meaning they will have had a full week’s rest for this one. With Southampton returning to competitive play and the manager still seeking his first win at his new club, expect a near full-strength Southampton side to take the field here. This is not a good sign for a Lincoln side that have lost five of their 10 away matches, although they have also managed to win four of those. While the results haven’t been there for Southampton this season, they can at least be encouraged by more promising play at St Mary’s Stadium. The Saints have scored in six of their seven home outings compared to four of their eight away trips.

This is a tough spot for Lincoln City considering they are likely to run into a near full strength Southampton side looking to get their first win for their new manager. Lincoln’s struggles away from home, particularly to find the net on a consistent basis, will likely end up being their downfall here as the hosts should have little trouble cruising to a relatively comfortable victory. Our pick for Southampton vs Lincoln City is Southampton to be leading at half time and full time.