02 June 2020, by Carl Lewis

Portuguese Primeira Liga Betting Preview.

The good news just keeps on coming as one of Europe’s biggest leagues returns, Portugal’s Primeira Liga restarts on Wednesday, June 3.

Although the football will be played in unprecedented conditions with Covid-19 impacting every industry globally, the Primeira Liga has a familiar feel as old rivals Porto and Benfica battle out for the title they’ve been winning since 2002.

Porto are one point ahead of holders Benfica with Braga 13 further behind in third place with 10 rounds of matches left. below, we highlight all of the matches in the opening round of fixtures.

?? Liga NOS returns on Wednesday

1⃣ FC Porto – 60 pts
2⃣ Benfica – 59 pts
3⃣ Braga – 46 pts

Our Team of the Season as things stand ??? pic.twitter.com/PwtoUfDUoX

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) June 1, 2020

Wednesday 3 June

20:00 – Portimonense (2.50) v Gil Vicente (3.05)

Relegation-threatened Portimonense are on their longest winless Primeira Liga (LPFP) streak since 2011 (D5, L7). They are the division’s lowest-scorers averaging just 0.67 goals netted per game, and have failed to score in 11 league matches so far (45.83%). Portimonense have lost just 1 of their last 7 home matches, although they won only 1. 

Mid-table Gil Vicente have won only 2 of their last 8 matches (D3, L3), but have lost just 3 of their last 12 in all competitions (W4, D5). The previous 3 matches ended with under 2.5 goals, while 5 of their latest 7 saw both teams score. The visitors travel here with just 1 loss from their last 7 away games (W3, D3). The last head to head meeting ended in a 1-1 draw.

Best Bet: BTTS at 1.95

22:00 – FC Famalicao (6.90) v Porto (1.42)

Famalicão have won just once (D4, L3) in their last 8 matches. The 4 draws averaged exactly 2.0 total match goals. The hosts’ recent run of just 1 win (D2, L2) in 5 home matches seems ominous when facing Porto.

Porto have won 6 (D1) of their 7 matches, their last 3 wins each saw them keep a first-half clean sheet, and in turn, 5 of their last 6 individual halves of league action have produced under 1.5 total goals. A run of 5 straight away wins (stretching back to January) has extended Porto’s unbeaten league run on the road to 11 matches. 

Best Bet: Porto win and under 3.5 goals at 2.15

Thursday 4 June

19:00 – Maritimo (2.30) v Setubal (3.35)

Marítimo’s current 3-match losing streak is their worst since 2018 (L6), but their recent home form has been encouraging. Marítimo have avoided defeat in 7 of their last 9 home matches (W3, D4, L2) and have scored 72% of their league goals at home this season (16/22). Regardless, any Marítimo win could be narrow, considering four of their five LPFP wins have come via a single-goal margin.

Setúbal have not won a league game since the start of February (D3, L3), but have lost just once across their last 5 away matches(W2, D2, L1). Furthermore, they remain a stubborn side with a joint league-high ten draws this season. Either way, a low-scoring game could be on the cards as Setúbal have seen under 2.5 goals in 66% of their LPFP matches. The last head to head meeting was a goalless draw.

Best Bet: Under 1.5 goals at 2.55

20:15 – Benfica (1.15) v CD Tondela (17.50)

After 16 straight league wins, February saw Benfica’s form take a dip (W1, D2, L2). Impressively, Benfica have scored 2+ goals in 4 of their last 5 league wins. Benfica are also disciplined in defence during victory, with just 1 of their last 7 wins seeing them concede before the 70th minute.

CD Tondela have just 1 win in 11 league games (D4, L6), with 5 of the 6 losses seeing them concede exactly twice in one half. Furthermore, Tondela have conceded an average of 2.33 second-half goals across their 3 prior defeats at Benfica.

Best Bet: Benfica (-1) at 1.52

22:00 – Vitoria Guimaraes (2.40) v Sporting Lisbon (2.90)

Guimarães have won their last 3 matches, scoring exactly twice on each occasion. It’s now been 5 matches since they failed to score, and eight such fixtures since their last draw (W5, L3).

Only 2 of Sporting CP last 8 league matches have seen over 2.5 goals. However, both teams have scored in 58% of their fixtures. Away from home, they are winless in 3 league games (D1, L2) and have not kept a clean sheet in 4 road trips, although they did score in their last two. They have beaten Vitoria by exactly a 2 goal margin in their most recent head to heads.

Best Bet: Sporting to win at 2.90