Sunderland's dream return to the Premier League is ongoing, as the newcomers find themselves lying 11th in the standings, but only eight points away from fifth-placed Chelsea.
The Black Cats have heavily depended on their home ground advantage, as they remained unbeaten at the Stadium of Light in the league in their opening dozen fixtures in front of their adoring fans.
Regis Le Bris's men have a date with a fellow mid-table outfit when Brighton head to town on Saturday, March 14, where three points will put some distance between them and the coastal club.
The Seagulls are three points behind their hosts and need a maximum return in their first visit to Sunderland in over 40 years if they are to peg back the home side.
Explore our Sunderland vs Brighton betting tips and odds courtesy of bet365 below.
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Sunderland vs Brighton preview: Hosts to capitalise on home advantage
| Sunderland | vs | Brighton |
|---|---|---|
| 11th | Position | 14th |
| 40 | Points | 37 |
| 30 | Goals For | 38 |
| 34 | Goals Against | 36 |
| 9 | Clean Sheets | 6 |
| 6th | Home Rank | 11th |
| 15th | Away Rank | 16th |
After two impressive results away from home in consecutive weeks of the Premier League, securing a win and a draw, Sunderland could not continue that momentum in the FA Cup, as they were dumped out by Port Vale, who are currently rock bottom of League One.
Regardless of that unfortunate result, the hosts have had an impressive season as newcomers from the Championship, and have already attained the 40 points needed to confirm their status as a top-flight club for next season.
Only Manchester City and Arsenal conceded fewer goals at home than Sunderland.
While the Black Cats were initially tough to beat at the Stadium of Light, they enter this game on the back of losing two on the bounce at home, and losing here over the weekend would mean the first time they have lost three in a row at home since September 2016.
The home side enjoy a positive record against Brighton, winning five of the last eight league head-to-heads, while the last three meetings at this venue in league competition went the way of the hosts.
Le Bris will be hoping to use captain Granit Xhaka for much longer than he did in the FA Cup last week and in their 1-0 away to Leeds, as six of Sunderland's 11 competitive defeats this season arrived when the Swiss midfielder was absent.
Furthermore, Sunderland's number one, Robin Roefs appears to be nearing full fitness, which will be a welcome return between the sticks for the hosts, Nordi Mukiele could also be on his way back.
Only four of Brighton's last 15 league fixtures produced more than two goals.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler bemoaned Arsenal's tactics in their previous outing, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the league leaders, ending a run of two wins on the bounce.
However, the chance to leapfrog the hosts with a win this weekend should be enough to refocus his troops, and having won in their last away date to Brentford, the visitors are chasing back-to-back triumphs on the road for the first time in this campaign.
The good news for the Seagulls is that they enjoy a record of remaining unbeaten in 11 consecutive matches against newly-promoted opposition, keeping a clean sheet in five of their last six.
After sitting out their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, Lewis Dunk is close to a return to action, although this fixture might be too soon for the defender.
Sunderland vs Brighton form guide & betting tips
| Sunderland | vs | Brighton |
|---|---|---|
| L-L-L-W-D | League Form | L-L-W-W-L |
| 4 | Points | 6 |
| 18th | Form Table | 12th |
| 3 | Goals For | 4 |
| 8 | Goals Against | 4 |
| W-L-D-W-L | Form (all comps) | L-L-W-W-L |
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Whispers predicts: Sunderland 1-1 Brighton
The fact that both teams are hovering around mid-table is an indication that they are closely matched, just like they were in the reverse fixture when it ended goalless at the Amex Stadium.
Neither side are overly potent in front of goal, especially across the last five matches, with the hosts only managing three goals and the visitors, four, which is why opting for under 2.5 goals at 1.72 with bet365 is worth considering.
Fifteen of Sunderland's league matches this season stood level at the halftime break, which is the joint-most in the division, leading us to lean towards a halftime draw at 2.10, a prediction that is supported by the fact that only five of Brighton's 16 away league goals arrived before the 45-minute mark.
Five draws in 14 home games for Sunderland means that this game ending as it started is a likely outcome, and with 3.30 odds for a draw, it is worth considering.
Both sides have seen 57% of their respective home and away league matches end with goals from both teams on the day, which makes the BTTS - Yes market attractive at 1.80.
However, a combination of these tips could work best if value is the goal, as a draw and BTTS - Yes option offers 4.33 odds.
> Under 2.5 goals at 1.72 | Likelihood: Probable
> Halftime draw at 2.10 | Likelihood: Probable
> Match result - Draw at 3.30 | Likelihood: Possible
> BTTS - Yes at 1.80 | Likelihood: Possible
> Draw & BTTS - Yes at 4.33 | Likelihood: Long shot