Necaxa and Monterrey both made winning starts to their Liga MX seasons last weekend and will be aiming to build further momentum when they meet at the Estadio Victoria on Sunday.
Both teams failed to reach the final phase of the 2025/26 Torneo Clausura, but they have started this season brightly enough, Necaxa relying on late goals to get past newly-promoted Atlante and Monterrey coming through a five-goal game against Santos Laguna 3-2.
Necaxa vs. Monterrey betting picks and predictions
Monterrey to win (+110)
Having finished fifth and then reached the semifinals of last season's Torneo Apertura, Monterrey endured a difficult Clausura, with head coach Domenec Torrent departing as they eventually finished a disappointing 13th.
Former Argentina star Matias Almeyda, who left Spanish side Sevilla earlier this year, has been appointed as Torrent's successor and he enjoyed a winning start against Santos Laguna.
The 3-2 scoreline does not tell the whole story of that match, as Monterrey were 3-0 up inside 31 minutes and Santos Laguna only scored their second goal deep into second-half stoppage time.
By contrast, Necaxa, who finished two places below Monterrey in last season's Clausura, were made to work hard for their victory over Atlante, as they trailed in that match heading into the final nine minutes.
Julian Carranza drew Martin Varini's side level from the penalty spot before Miguel Pedroza struck a 93rd-minute winner, but that performance perhaps provided more questions than answers.
A home clash with Monterrey will certainly provide a much sterner test for Necaxa, who have lost each of the last nine meetings between the two sides, a run that dates back to October 2021.
Necaxa haven't even scored in the last four head-to-heads and Monterrey are fancied to take their winning run against Los Rayos into double figures.
Lucas Ocampos to score or assist (-150)
Lucas Ocampos counts Monaco, Marseille and AC Milan among his former clubs and he has made a bright start to his third season with Monterrey, scoring twice and setting up the third in last weekend's 3-2 win over Santos Laguna.
Like many of his teammates, the 32-year-old went off the boil in last season's Clausura, but 11 goal involvements in the 2025/26 Apertura underlines his quality and he could be returning to his best form under fellow Argentine Almeyda.
Ocampos was on the scoresheet when these two sides met in last season's Apertura and he should have a major say on proceedings at the Estadio Victoria.
Agustin Oliveros to be booked (+275)
Necaxa's disciplinary record was poor during the second half of last season, as they picked up a joint-high seven red cards, the same number as Pachuca, who played four games more after reaching the final phase.
Uruguayan left-back Agustin Oliveros was the recipient of one of those red cards - one of two players who were dismissed in April's loss at Queretaro - while he also picked up a caution in their final match of the campaign against eventual champions Cruz Azul.
The one-time Uruguay international, like the rest of the Necaxa defence, will no doubt have to do plenty of defending on Sunday and he is a likely candidate to pick up a yellow card, perhaps more than one of them.
Over 10 corners (+150)
Necaxa were chasing the game for much of last week's win over Atlante, which contributed to them earning 11 corners to their opponent's five.
They are unlikely to win as many against Monterrey but they can still play their part in the overall total going into double figures.
Monterrey both won and conceded five corners in their win over Santos Laguna and they will expect to earn more than that against Necaxa, a match where they are likely to dominate for large spells.
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Necaxa vs. Monterrey odds
Necaxa | +220 |
Tie | +260 |
Monterrey | +110 |
Necaxa vs. Monterrey player props
Anytime goalscorer
Diego Rossi (Monterrey) | +150 |
Uros Djurdjevic (Monterrey) | +150 |
Lucas Ocampos (Monterrey) | +162 |
Roberto de la Rosa (Monterrey) | +200 |
Ricardo Monreal (Necaxa) | +210 |
Julian Carranza (Necaxa) | +210 |
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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 withdrawal or change at any time.
