The Portuguese Primeira Liga is the top division of football in Portugal and it has been going since 1934. In that time it has been dominated by European legends Benfica (who have won 34 titles) and Porto (who have landed 27 titles), with Sporting Lisbon not too far behind with 18 championships to their name. With only two other sides having ever won the Portuguese championship (Belenenses in 1946 and Boavista in 2001) it is fair to say the Primeira Liga is a three-horse race. But which side will triumph in the 2015-16 season?
Here we bring you our outright winner betting tips and predictions along with the latest live odds comparison for all the action from the Portuguese top flight this season.
Let’s start with the side who have won the title in Portugal more than any other and who also won it in each of the last two seasons, Benfica. Now coached by former Vitoria Guimaraes boss Rui Vitoria, and with a fine blend of European and South American talent amongst their squad, the Eagles have been performing well this term, but they have slipped up when facing their main title rivals, losing to Sporting 3-0 at home and to Porto 1-0 on the road. Despite those two loses and a shock defeat to Arouca away back in August, Benfica have managed to win the rest of their league matches, including each of the last five, and if they are able to get revenge against Sporting and Porto in the New Year, the betting odds of 3/1 with Sky Bet of them retaining their title could prove very good value.
Both the current leaders, Sporting, and the second place side, Porto, are unbeaten in the league so far, but that might well change when they meet in Lisbon on the 2nd January. The bookies are currently favouring Porto, with the best odds currently being 6/5 with BetVictor. Porto won the title seven times between 2006 and 2013, and were runners up last term, and with former Spanish U21 coach Julen Lopetegui at the helm, they are once again looking to challenge for the championship. Much – as ever in Portugal – will depend on results against the other two title contenders, and their victory over Benfica was massive in the context of the division. Whether they can go on to become outright winners again is no foregone conclusion, however, and with two other formidable contenders, we are loathe to back Porto at such short betting odds.
Sporting, at 2/1 with Bet365, perhaps offer a little more value, especially given their boss is none other than Jorge Jesus who was in charge at Benfica from 2009 until June of this year. That Benfica let Jesus go after he guided the side to back to back titles is a strange one, but Sporting are clearly the beneficiaries and he will be eager to get one over on his former club. The 3-0 triumph at Benfica in October must have stung his former employers and a similar result when the sides meet in the return match in March will put Sporting in pole position for the title.
Overall then, we feel the value lies with one or other of the two Lisbon-based clubs: Benfica or Sporting. The experience and tactical nous of Jorge Jesus gives us the inclination to back Sporting in the outright winner market and so they are our betting tip for the Portuguese title in the 2015-16. We certainly think that the Benfica board will rue the decision not to have offered Jesus the contract he wanted to continue his fine work at the club, but their loss will be Sporting’s gain.
The Primeira Liga is the top tier of Portuguese football and has been dominated by the “Big Three”, Porto, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, who have won the title on all but two occasions. Here we take a look at the outright winner market for the 2015-16 Primeira Liga season and offer up our predictions and betting tips, as well as providing live odds comparison for every Primeira Liga game and the outright winner betting too.
At the time of writing we are almost one third of the way through the Portuguese season and Sporting Lisbon, who have “only” won the title on 18 occasions, have a commanding five point lead at the top of the table. Sporting are unbeaten in 10 games, winning eight of those, although interestingly Benfica (34 Primeira Liga titles but currently fourth in the table) have a superior goal difference.
Sporting are priced at best betting odds of 9/4 (with 10bet) at the moment and are second favourites in the outright betting. Managed by Jorge Jesus, they have a predominantly Portuguese squad, although Bryan Ruiz, Teófilo Gutiérrez, Alberto Aquilani and Japan’s Junya Tanaka provide a little overseas magic.
Last season they were third, some nine points behind Primeira Liga winners Benfica and whilst they have a well-balanced side we feel they are just a shade short on class. Despite their strong start we think their odds are too short and as such we will look elsewhere for our Primeira Liga outright betting tip.
The current favourites are Porto, who have already beaten Chelsea in the Champions League this season and could eliminate the Blues when the sides meet at Stamford Bridge on the 9th December. They have a game in hand on Sporting and should they win that would be just two points off the top of the league. BetVictor price Porto at 5/4 but we suspect that could be a shade too short. Porto have played six games at home and three away and whilst they are unbeaten, they have drawn three times. Away from home they are yet to keep a clean sheet and unless they can tighten up at the back they will struggle to justify such short odds in our opinion.
Porto are a classy outfit but, whilst we acknowledge they are worthy favourites and may well go on to claim yet another Primeira Liga, we feel there may be just a shade more value in backing current champions Benfica.
Benfica have done superbly well to sit top of Champions League Group C and will top the group ahead of Atletico Madrid if they can avoid defeat against Atleti in the final game. Given they are at home and won in Madrid this looks very achievable and we fancy that once the Champions League is “put to bed” for a little why they should be able to mount a good run and move up the league.
Benfica are currently priced at odds of 4/1 with Bet365 and with their experience and undoubted ability, we feel that looks like a nice fat slice of value. They are currently fourth, as said, with just 18 points from their opening nine games but the manner of some of their victories and their performances in Europe suggest to us they could well spring a surprise. The Eagles have some brilliant players, notably captain Luisao and Nicolas Gaitan and manager Rui Vitória is seeing Brazilian Jonas continue his amazing scoring record. At 4/1 Benfica are clearly underdogs but we think they offer the best value in the outright winner betting and as such they are our main betting tip for the Primeira Liga this season.