Santa Cruz vs Palmeiras Predictions & Betting Tips, Match Previews

This a real ‘top vs bottom’ clash with Palmeiras looking good to end their wait for a league title with 11 games to go, while Santa Cruz need something of a miracle to avoid an immediate return to Serie B.

Palmeiras’ form may not look that impressive with just 2 wins from their last 6 in all competitions but it is worth bearing in mind they appear to be putting all their eggs in one basket and focusing on the league. It’s hard to blame them really, with only 3 teams now in with a serious shot at the title and Palmeiras still leading the way. Those two recent defeats were both in the Brazilian Cup, including a 2-1 loss at Gremio in their most recent game but they won’t have lost too much sleep over that. Their league form has been exceptional and they are unbeaten in 10 in Serie A now, winning 6 of those games.

Santa Cruz are 8 points from safety going into week 28 and even bottom club America Mineiro are now closing in on them following a couple of recent wins. The Recife club will need to win at least half of their remaining fixtures to stand any chance of survival but with just 6 league wins all season so far, that looks unlikely. They’ve lost their last two league games and were knocked out of the Copa Sudamericana on away goals by Medellin last week, despite a hat-trick from top scorer Grafite.

Santa Cruz do score a few goals so they could get on the score-sheet here but they also have the worst defensive record in the division, with 44 goals conceded so far. Palmeiras’ title challenge has shown no signs of falling by the wayside. They’ve been winning the games they should win and drawing ones they can’t really afford to lose. This falls into the former category you’d have to say and they’ll be confident of picking up maximum points here, so consider backing Palmeiras to Win at 23/20.