Benfica v Sporting CP: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Sporting CP head into Saturday’s Lisbon derby with Benfica knowing three points would be enough to earn them the Primeira Liga title and they will be hoping their Swedish hotshot Viktor Gyokeres can fire them to glory against their arch rivals.

Benfica v Sporting CP betting tips and predictions

Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals - 10/11

We are entering the penultimate weekend of the Portuguese Primeira Liga season, but there is no doubt that the title is up for grabs when Benfica and Sporting CP face off at the Estadio da Luz.

Both teams head into battle on 78 points, but Sporting’s 1-0 win in December’s reverse fixture gives them a crucial advantage, with the head-to-head-record set to decide the title if they finish level on points.

So there should be plenty of positivity which can add up to an entertaining encounter as both teams come into the game in excellent form.

Benfica have won 12 of their last 13 matches and have dropped just four points at home all season, while Sporting are unbeaten in their last 19 games and should be spurred on by the fact the title will be theirs if they come out on top at the weekend.

Both teams have scored in six of the last seven meetings, none of which have been settled by a winning margin of more than one goal, while all but one of Benfica’s last 16 games have featured at least three goals.

With over 2.5 goals being a winning bet in nine of Sporting’s last 11 outings, it is worth combining the overs and both teams to score for a possible 10/11 return.

Viktor Gyokeres to score at any time - 5/4

The fact Sporting can be crowned champions with a success should ensure the visitors are positive in Saturday’s big clash, which is likely to guarantee that forward Gyokeres is at the heart of the action.

The Swedish goal machine has had a phenomenal season in the Portuguese league, scoring 38 goals for the tabletoppers, with 16 of that tally coming across his 10 most recent appearances.

He scored four goals against Boavista and a hat-trick against Moreirense in the last month, but it would be unfair to cast him as a flat-track bully, as he has demonstrated his abilities at Europe’s top table this term after helping Sporting to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.

His most high-profile performance of the season came when he netted a treble against Manchester City just before manager Ruben Amorim left to take over at the Citizens’ rivals Manchester United.

Sporting need their big player to step up if they are going to get over the line in this one and he is in the sort of form that suggests he will not disappoint.

Over 9.5 corners - 5/6

With an exciting spectacle in prospect between these two big-hitters, it seems sensible to anticipate that there should be plenty of corners to go along with the goals.

Benfica have earned a whopping 7.81 corners per home league game this season and the average of 10.88 per game at the Estadio da Luz is the second-highest number among the 18 teams in the Portuguese top flight.

Sporting average 5.56 per away game and with both teams likely to look to get on the front foot, it would not be a huge surprise if we witnessed a double-figure tally of flag-kicks.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdraw or change at any time.