Brighton vs Sunderland should be an entertaining watch for the neutral, as both teams are eyeing European qualification and are in the right place to launch their challenge.
The hosts are three points and two places behind the visitors in the Premier League table, highlighting just how important a victory is for either side here.
Explore our Brighton vs Sunderland betting tips below.
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Brighton vs Sunderland predictions: Cancelling each other out
Key stats
- Only Aston Villa (15) have earned more points from losing positions this season than Sunderland’s 12 and Brighton’s 11.
- A league-high of 74% of Sunderland’s goals arrived in the second half this season.
- The Black Cats won just one of the last six top-flight games against the Seagulls.
- Brighton are on a three-match winless run in the Premier League.
Correct score prediction: Brighton 1-1 Sunderland
Brighton are averaging two league goals per home game this season, but they have conceded an average of 1.38 goals per match. Sunderland’s struggles away from home have been finding the back of the net, but they are good enough to grab one against a team that have seen both teams score in 88% of their Premier League matches at the Amex Stadium.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Seagulls expected to soar
- HOME: 13/20 (1.65) – 60.6%
- DRAW: 3/1 (4.00) – 25.0%
- AWAY: 4/1 (5.00) – 20.0%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
According to the odds, Brighton are heavy favourites to secure maximum points here, but the fact that Sunderland are above their hosts in the table speaks volumes. The Black Cats have a 20% chance of winning this, while the hosts are higher up at 60.6%. Ladbrokes suggests a draw is more likely to happen than an away victory, which comes in at 25%.
We have more free betting tips for today to help you out with the best possible selections.
This meeting will be the clubs’ first in the Premier League as we know it, as their previous top-flight meetings came in the 1980s. Across their most-recent five head-to-heads, both teams won one apiece, with three games ending in stalemates.
Brighton preview: Dunk and Gomez miss out
Lewis Dunk and Diego Gomez will both sit this one out after receiving their fifth yellow card of the season. Meanwhile, Solly March, Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas are out through injury. Influential midfielder Carlos Baleba is away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon.
Predicted lineup: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Veltman, Kadioglu; Ayari, Hinshelwood; Minteh, Gruda, Mitoma; Welbeck
Last five matches
- Liverpool 2-0 Brighton
- Brighton 1-1 West Ham
- Brighton 3-4 Aston Villa
- Nottingham Forest 0-2 Brighton
- Brighton 2-1 Brentford
Sunderland preview: Five missing for Le Bris
AFCON has severely impacted the Black Cats, as they will be missing five crucial players for a while. These include Reinildo Mandava, Noah Sadiki, Chemsdine Talbi, Bertrand Traore and Arthur Masuaku, who will be representing their countries in Morocco.
Predicted lineup: Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Geertruida; Xhaka, Rigg; Mundle, Le Fee, Isidor; Brobbey
Last five matches
- Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle
- Man City 3-0 Sunderland
- Liverpool 1-1 Sunderland
- Sunderland 3-2 Bournemouth
- Fulham 1-0 Sunderland
Player to watch: Robin Roefs
The Sunderland goalkeeper has been a large part of the Black Cats’ success in the Premier League so far this season. Only one other keeper made more saves than Roefs’s 53 across the opening 16 rounds of action. After keeping a clean sheet the last time out against Newcastle, Roefs should be high in confidence and will be crucial if the visitors are to stop Brighton.