Ipswich Town vs Brighton & Hove Albion Prediction

Provided a chance to climb out the relegation zone, Ipswich Town will play host to Brighton and Hove Albion in the latest instalment of the Premier League. After returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2002, Ipswich have not hit the ground running and find themselves in the relegation zone, currently sat 18th place with only three wins from 20 games in their campaign.

Their opposition Brighton have cemented themselves as a solid, middle of the pack side throughout their recent seasons in the Premier League. This season has been more of the same for the Seagulls who are currently 11th in the table. Brighton are the team with the highest number of draws in the league this season so they will be hoping they can use this game as a chance to break their drawing streak and climb to ninth in the table.

Key Stats

• Brighton are unbeaten in their last five games, with one win and four draws while their opponents are unbeaten from their last three
• The last three meetings between the two sides have all ended in draws
• Ipswich have scored seven from their last five games while Brighton have just pipped them with eight

Team Previews, Form and Standout Players

Currently unbeaten in 2025, Ipswich Town will be looking bring the dominance that they showed Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup into the Premier League. After a massive win against Chelsea on the penultimate day before the new year, Ipswich are hoping for more of the same so they can ensure they can climb out of the relegation zone and start focusing on building a safety gap.

After being named in both the League One and Championship teams of the season, fullback Leif Davis has brought his quality into the Premier League and has been a consistent name on Kieran McKenna’s team sheet. Committing to the club till 2028 with a new contract, Davis has been praised by both fans and the manager with them showing great delight to the fullback for being a pivotal part to the team's success to climbing back to the Premier League.

Brighton approaches this game unbeaten from their last five games, accumulating four draws in their most recent Premier League matches. A break from the Premier League saw Brighton in FA Cup action in which they dominated Norwich City, leaving Carrow Road with a 4-0 win and progressed to the next round.

Midfielder Georginio Ritter has been a delight to watch since joining Brighton in the summer for a club record fee of 40 million. However, he may be forced to watch this game from the sideline, after reports that the French midfielder has picked up a muscle injury during the Norwich game.

Ipswich Town Preview

Formation: 5-2-3

Predicted Line-Up: Walton; Davis, Greaves, Woolfenden, O’Shea, Johnson; Cajuste, Morsy; Broadhead, Delap, Clarke

Unfortunately for McKenna’s side they are going to be without two of their main stars, Omari Hutchinson and Sammie Szmodics. Hutchinson was ruled out for their last game against Bristol Rovers after sustaining a groin injury. Kieran McKenna has revealed that Szmodics has been struggling with ankle issue and has now dawned a protective boot to help him recover quicker, ruling him out for this clash.

There have been massive concerns with Ipswich and their home form this season. However, after securing a win against Chelsea, the Tractor Boys since went on to beat Bristol Rovers at home and have now made it two wins from their last two attempts.

Brighton & Hove Albion Preview

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Predicted Line-Up: Verbruggen; Estupinan, Dunk, Van Hecke, Veltman; Baleba, Ayari; Mitoma, Enciso, Gruda; Welbeck

Brighton have built themselves a reputation this season for being the draw specialists, with all their last four Premier League games ending in a stalemate. Sitting 11th in the table, Brighton are joint third for least amount of losses for the season but have struggled to get themselves wins.

On top of this, Fabian Hürzeler’s side have been riddled with injury all season long. While winger Solly March has finally returned after being out for 14 months, Usual starters such as Joao Pedro and Tariq Lamptey are both doubtful through injury and illness. Winger Solly March received a massive ovation when he found the back of the net against Norwich, however it is likely youngster Brajan Gruda will be the one to start for this game.

Head to Head Stats

The reverse fixture earlier on this season ended in a 0-0 draw but Brighton have not faced Ipswich at Portman Road since January 1983 which saw Ipswich take the win 2-0.

Betting Tips

Ipswich need to ensure a win if they want to stay in the fight to remain in the top division of English football. Brighton are the stronger side but with six draws from their last 10 premier league games it is uncertain if they will be able to find a way to win. Returning striker Danny Welbeck could be the difference maker in this one.

For this reason, our betting experts say Brighton to Win with Over 2.5 goals is the best value tip for this game. With odds at 17/10, a bet of £10 could see a return of up £27.

(odds subject to change)

Final Prediction: Ipswich Town vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Ipswich Town 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion