Brighton vs Brentford 2021 Boxing Day Preview, Odds, and Betting Tips

Both Brighton and Brentford come back on the pitch in Round 19 of the Premier League after skipping the previous round. It wasn’t their fault why they didn’t play last weekend – their opponents requested the game to be postponed due to COVID-19 problems.

As a result, Brighton and Brentford have had plenty of time to rest and prepare for their clash on the 2021 Boxing Day. The game on Sunday, December 26 is going to be only the second-ever Brighton vs Brentford duel in the Premier League. It’s because most of their previous meetings happened in the Championship, League One, and League Two.

Brighton vs Brentford Odds

*Odds taken from bet365 on Friday, December 17, 2021.

Brighton vs Brentford Boxing Day Preview

So far in the 2021-22 Premier League season, both teams have played 16 games. Each team has 20 points right now, which puts them in 12th and 13th place. Brentford is sitting higher than Brighton due to a better score difference.

Three points are at stake in this game, and if one of them wins on Sunday, they could move a couple of positions up in the Premier League rankings. In the best-case scenario, the winner of the Brighton vs. Brentford would get to as high as the #9 position after Boxing Day.

Both teams have the motivation, but which team has the manpower to achieve the Christmas resolutions? Well, it might be that the answer is neither! The thing is that both teams could end up missing some of their key men.

Brighton Missing (Almost) All of Their Forwards

Brighton’s game with Manchester United was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak. However, it wasn’t an outbreak in Brighton’s locker-room, but in that of their opponent.

Still, this doesn’t mean this team is entirely coronavirus-free. The number of Brighton players who tested positive last week isn’t huge, but the problem is that it includes their best forwards:

• Neal Maupay
• Jurgen Locadia
• Pascal Gross

In addition to the players who will miss the Boxing Day game due to the coronavirus, a few others will miss it cause of injuries. Those include winger Danny Welbeck, midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento, defender Lewis Dunk, and a few others.

Brentford’s Banged-Up Defense

All of Brentford’s key forwards are 100% fit, but their defense is decimated. Ethan Pinnock is out because of COVID, while Mathias Jorgensen and Kristoffer Ajer are both injured. On top of that, Brentford’s first-choice goalie is also out with a knee injury.

Knowing that defending hasn’t been their strong point this season, those injuries definitely need to worry them. On the bright side for them, Brighton’s offense doesn’t look too dangerous ahead of the Boxing Day fixture.

Brighton vs Brentford Prediction

Brighton is having problems with their offense, while their defense should play well as usual. And they’ve been playing really well in the 2021-22 season. So far, this team has conceded only 17 goals, which puts Brighton’s defense among the top 5 in the Premier League.

Brentford, on the other hand, are having problems with the defense. Their offense, however, has no injured/COVID-positive players. And their offense is what’s been their strongest weapon this season. With 21 goals in 16 games and a scoring average of 1.31 goals per game, their attack is among the top 6 most productive in the league.

So, which will prevail – good offense or good defense? Probably neither. In fact, the draw seems like the most likely outcome of this game.

Brighton vs Brentford Betting Tips:

• The Draw
• Under 2.5 Goals