FC Porto vs Chaves Predictions

• Porto have covered a -1 handicap in their last seven home Primeira Liga games.
• Porto have covered a -1 handicap in six of their last seven games against Chaves.
• Chaves have just sold two of their best players to Krasnodar.

Depleted Chaves to suffer in Dragons’ den 

Chaves produced one of the shocks of the Primeira Liga season when they won at Sporting Lisbon two weeks ago, but they don’t look equipped to pull of anything similar against champions Porto this weekend. The newly-promoted side would not have been given much chance of a follow up anyway against a Dragons team that has won seven straight home games with comfortable margins.

But this week Chaves sold two of their best players, defensive midfielder Kevin Pina and winger Joao Batxi, to Krasnodar and they won’t be able to replace them until January. It feels like a gamble from a team that are now eight points clear of the relegation zone after five games – a decent buffer.

Porto, third in the table, will be grateful that their task this Saturday has been made easier as they are coming off a heartbreaking Champions League defeat away to Atletico Madrid. The game at the Wanda Metropolitano was goalless after 90 minutes, but finished 2-1 to the hosts when Antoine Griezmann popped up in the 101st minute — well after the advertised stoppage-time was over.

Porto were superior to Atletico

Sergio Conceicao’s outfit were the superior side on Wednesday – registering more attacks, more shots and more dangerous opportunities. They did suffer an injury blow in Madrid with influential midfielder Otavio expected to be out for a few weeks with a rib injury.

The Dragons should still have enough quality to extend a run of wining home league games by more then one goal. Porto also have covered a -1 handicap in six of their last seven games against Chaves.

A 3-0 home victory is taken in correct score betting because Porto have scored at least three goals in six of their last seven home games, keeping clean sheets in five of those.