Pablo Barrera Pumas UNAM vs Santos Laguna Betting Odds Preview Liga MX Mexico soccer

Pumas, Santos try to end regular season in top three

In what could be a preview of the 2018 Liga MX Apertura Liguilla, Pumas UNAM takes on Santos Laguna in their last regular-season game of the campaign. Both teams have already clinched a place in the playoffs and will look to finish the regular season on a high note.

Currently, Pumas UNAM sits third in the standings with 29 points and arrives to this match on the back of a 1-0 win over Toluca. Meanwhile, Santos Laguna sits just one position below the Universitarios in fourth after managing a 1-1 draw with Club América.

SHARK BITES
  • Five of Santos Laguna’s last seven Liga MX matches away from home have hit the OVER.
  • Santos Laguna has lost just once across its last eight Liga MX matches.
  • Four of Pumas UNAM’s last six Liga MX matches at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario have hit the OVER.

Pumas UNAM vs Santos Laguna Game Center

There is still plenty on the line for both teams

What makes this match so intriguing from a neutral point of view is that both teams have every incentive to go for the win. For either team, a defeat could drop them all the way to sixth, something you want to avoid if you are looking for home-field advantage.

In the case of Santos Laguna, they tend to play well at the Estadio Corona, where they haven’t lost a game all season. As such, finishing as high as possible in the league table is imperative for the defending champs.

On the other hand, Pumas UNAM wants to win for different reasons. There is very much the possibility that the loser gets to play Tigres UANL in the quarterfinals. Forget the fact that Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti’s men are coming in hot right now, Tigres has always been a tough matchup for Pumas. Most recently, Tigres thumped Pumas 7-2 in the 2016 Apertura quarterfinals.

Unhappy travels for Santos Laguna

The altitude and weather conditions of Mexico City can always prove a hassle for visiting teams. For Santos Laguna, that’s no exception. Traditionally, visiting the Estadio Olimpico Universitario has been a headache for the Guerreros and the numbers overwhelmingly show that. The last time Santos Laguna got a win over Pumas in Mexico City was in 2013. In total, that’s been Santos Laguna’s only win at the Olimpico Universitario in 17 Liga MX matches.

However, there does seem to be a bit of hope for the Guerreros. Pumas currently ranks as the worst home team among all the teams already qualified for the Liguilla. In fact, they’ve already lost twice there, against Cruz Azul and Querétaro.

A promise for goals

There is a strong inclination that this game will be one of the more entertaining matches of Week 17. You only need to take a small glimpse of the last results between these last two teams to realize why. Each of the last four meetings between Pumas and Santos have hit the OVER with an average of 3.5 goals per game. Moreover, for large portions of this tournament Pumas has been the highest-scoring team in the league. As of today, Pumas ranks third in goals with 28, only behind Club América and Tigres UANL.

The game’s goalscoring promise doesn’t stop there. Santos Laguna’s starting striker Julio Furch is currently the league’s second-highest goalscorer with 12. He is two goals behind leader Andre-Pierre Gignac, and you’d assume he will try his best to at least level the Frenchman in the race for the Golden Boot.

My pick...

I’m fully expecting these two teams to put on a show Sunday afternoon. These teams have more than enough firepower to score goals, and ultimately have the common goal of finishing the regular season in the top three. For those reasons, I’m going for a draw in a high-scoring match at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario.

Five of Santos Laguna’s last seven Liga MX matches away from home have hit the OVER.away Santos Laguna has lost just once across its last eight Liga MX matches.away Four of Pumas UNAM’s last six Liga MX matches at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario have hit the OVER.home
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