Sheffield Wednesday v Southampton: Back odds-against Saints to start season in style

• Sheff Wed vulnerable following tumultuous summer

• Southampton can call upon EPL quality for opener

• Saints price too big to ignore for Hillsborough clash

• Read Betfair's new 90 Minute Payout offer here

Sheffield Wednesday v Southampton
Friday 4 August (20:00)
Live on Sky Sports

Sheffield Wednesday 3.412/5 start life back in the second-tier ill-prepared following a tumultuous summer. The Owls dispended of Darren Moore's leadership following a remarkable play-off campaign and have since brought in Xisco Munoz, an underwhelming appointment that's left many supporters feeling short-changed.

An uninspiring summer transfer window has left the Wednesday squad appearing undercooked and undermanned. Question marks surround the ability and athleticism of several positions and Friday night's hosts may struggle to match the standards set by a Southampton 2.3611/8 side that still boasts a glut of top-level performers.

Whilst Sheff Wed lost valuable preparation time during the off-season as they shuffled their leadership pack, Saints were much more targeted in their approach, snapping up the services of possession-obsessive boss Russell Martin. The highly-rated coach should be well capable of getting the south coast club back on the right road to progress.

Heading into the weekend, Southampton will have the potential to include the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Romeo Lavia, Carlos Alcaraz, Tino Livramento and Nathan Tella in a star-stocked Championship roster that should pack too much punch for Wednesday; the 2.3611/8 price on an away success via the Betfair Exchange holds plenty of appeal.

I'm placing my bet on the Exchange for the higher price, but for Sportsbook bettors, back the Saints with the new 90 Minute Payout feature - Match Odds 90 - which means if Southampton are winning at 90:00, you're a winner, regardless if they concede a fatal goal in injury time!

Goals underrated?

Last season the Championship averaged a disappointing 2.43 goals with 44% of fixtures landing Over 2.5 Goals pay-outs, perhaps explaining why Over 2.5 Goals is being chalked up as a 2.0811/10 shot on the Betfair Exchange.

Even so, Russell Martin's Swansea side saw the second-highest goals per-game figure in the division, with away fixtures particularly high-scoring.#

With Southampton boasting an awesome array of firepower, whilst also early on in the bedding-in period under the process-driven boss, there is certainly potential for an entertaining encounter to unfold.

However, I'm happy to leave the goals market alone for the time being. Xisco Munoz has a reputation for pragmatic football, and it wouldn't be a huge surprise if Sheffield Wednesday did adopt a safety-first approach for the opener considering their lack of available options ahead of the big kick-off.

Ward-Prowse to make his mark

Meanwhile, a rumoured move to West Ham has broken down for the aforementioned James Ward-Prowse, who will be expected to start and skipper the visitors in the campaign curtain-raiser. The England international has featured plenty in pre-season and will be eager to impress potential suitors at Hillsborough.

The 28-year-old score nine Premier League goals last season, and is renowned for his dead-ball excellence, as well as proving a serious open-play threat from distance. Ward-Prowse is available to back at 5/61.84 to land at least one shot on-target, a feat he achieved on 12 occasions during Southampton's demotion.

Alternatively, punters may wish to include James Ward-Prowse 1+ Shot On-Target alongside a Saints win via the Bet Builder for a more appetising 5/23.50 shout.

But for the purposes of our preview, I'll be recommending a play on a Southampton 2.3611/8 success to get the new EFL season started with a bang.

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