Sporting Lisbon vs Nacional Betting Tips

The focus of the Primeira Liga weekend will be on the Sunday night clash between the league’s two most storied football clubs Benfica and Porto. However, the oft-cast “third wheel”, Sporting Lisbon, has a terrific chance to take advantage of whatever the result of that game ends up being on Monday night when they play host to Nacional.

Sporting’s recent frustrations have come in European football. They were comprehensively knocked out of Champions League qualifying by CSKA Moscow and they suffered a 3-1 home defeat in the first round of Europa League group play against CSKA’s inter-city rivals Lokomotiv.

However, Primeira Liga form has been a different matter. In their last two games they’ve picked up impressive victories over Rio Ave and Pacos de Ferreira away from home and they are currently equal on points with Porto at the top of the table.

Nacional have enjoyed a mixed start to the season winning two and losing two. They beat basement dwellers Academica last weekend, but they lost their only game of the season against a top half opponent to Sporting Braga. This is their third game away from home after losing their first two, including a 1-0 defeat to Tondela.

This trip to Sporting Lisbon on Monday won’t be an easy challenge.

Three Reasons for Betting Tips

1. This isn’t European football

Sporting don’t look like they know their style or are comfortable in European football. It’s a different challenge and it might be bad news for their prospects against Benfica and Porto later in the season. They’re a different animal in games like this and we’re expecting them to control the pace and score some goals.

2. Sporting’s weakness is conceding

They are a terrific team in terms of their attacking play, but their slight weakness is conceding bad goals. They given up four goals in four games this season, which just increases the possibility of Over 2.5 Goals coming in.

3. Low odds on Sporting win

A two-goal Asian Handicap line doesn’t offer much room for error and Sporting’s money line odds offer very little return. We think a Sporting win means a few goals and we like the closer to even odds on Over 2.5 Goals.