Tigres UANL, Santos Laguna Collide in Liga MX Match of the Week

Game: Tigres UANL vs Santos Laguna

Location: Estadio Universitario, Nuevo Leon

Time: Saturday, Aug. 7, 10 p.m. ET

Television: beIN Sports

Live Stream: fuboTV

Mexico Primera Division Betting Lines

Head to Head

• Previous Matches: 55
• Tigres UANL Victories: 21 (82 goals)
• Santos Laguna Victories: 14 (67 goals)
• Draws: 20

Last season, Santos Laguna defeated Tigres UANL 2-0 at home. Juan Otero and Eduardo Aguirre were the scorers. Nevertheless, Tigres owns a 5-1-4 record in their last 10 meetings against Santos. They scored 15 goals, allowed 12, finished with a clean sheet three times, and failed to score twice.

Their last meeting at Estadio Universitario finished with a 2-0 victory for Tigres. In fact, the home side hasn’t lost in the last 14 games of the series.

Why bet on Tigres UANL?

Life has been tough without Ricardo Ferretti. Tigres UANL hasn’t reached the Final over the last three tournaments, but they brought Miguel Herrera to change that. The experienced manager already knows what it’s like to win the Liga MX, he won two titles with America.

Tigres started the season with a 1-2 road victory over Tijuana. Most recently, they lost 3-1 to Toluca, also on the road. Guido Pizarro scored Tigres’ goal, but he also saw a red card, which means he’s not available to face Santos Laguna.

Four goals against in two games is a lot for this team but returning home should boost their morale. Also, defenders Luis Rodriguez and Carlos Salcedo will be back after playing the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Mexico.

They’re 0-2 against the spread and 2-0 over/under. Losing once again could mean falling out of the Playoffs zone. The season is just beginning, but you don’t want to play with a lot of pressure throughout the entire tournament.

Strikers Andre-Pierre Gignac and Florian Thauvin will also be back after playing the Olympic tournament with France. Their expected lineup is Nahuel Guzman; Erick Avalos, Luis Rodriguez, Diego Reyes, Carlos Salcedo; Javier Aquino, Rafael Carioca, Luis Quinones; Juan Vigon, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Nicolas Lopez.

Why Bet on Santos Laguna?

Santos Laguna started the tournament on the right foot, that’s why it’s surprising they’re the sports betting underdog. They defeated Necaxa 0-3 on the road and drew 1-1 with Cruz Azul at home. Allowing only one goal in two games shows they’re a disciplined team. Last regular season they finished with the second-best defensive record after allowing 13 goals in 26 games.

Diego Valdes leads the team in scoring with two goals. Juan Otero and Alberto Ocejo have scored one goal each. Ocejo also has one assist. Santos has developed great chemistry as a team since manager Guillermo Almada took over in 2019. They’ve won 54.12% of their matches with him in charge.

Alan Cervantes will be back after representing Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Eduardo Aguirre will be back as well after playing the Olympic tournament, also with Mexico. More good news, Dutch striker Alessio Da Cruz is ready to play his first game with the team.

They’re 1-1 against the spread and over/under. Beating Tigres UANL could mean reaching the top, and right now they don’t need more motivation than that. To reach first place, they would also need Toluca and Mazatlan to lose.

Their expected lineup is Carlos Acevedo; Carlos Orrantia, Felix Torres, Matheus Doria, Omar Campos; Fernando Gorriaran, Ronaldo Prieto, Juan Otero, Diego Valdes, Alan Cervantes; Alberto Ocejo.

Final Analysis and Predictions

Expect a game worthy of a Final. Tigres UANL will be playing at home for the first time, while Santos Laguna will try to send a message. Both will be getting some key players back and that will make an instant impact.

Domestically, three of their last five meetings went over 2½ goals. I expect that to happen again with both scoring. Don’t forget to check the Soccer Props to increase your winning chances. Take a shot on the correct score, half-time/full-time winner, and more!

Score Prediction: Tigres 2 – Santos Laguna 2

Pick: Over 2½ at +115