The final four teams are lining up for the Liga MX Clausura playoffs and Chivas and Monterrey look the best pics to scoop the big prize.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Looking at the odds of the leading sportsbooks (and you can check our top sportsbooks reviews here) it seems that bettors favor Club America, though only slightly ahead of Monterrey in the Liga MX Clausura winner Futures market. Tigres is rated at around +350 and Chivas is the underdog at +400.
| Liga MX Futures |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Club America | +175 | +185 |
| Monterrey | +180 | +185 |
| UANL Tigres | +350 | +350 |
| Chivas | +400 | +400 |
Clausura Betting Briefing
Liga MX is the premier football league in Mexico, but its structure is rare in the soccer world. There are 18 teams in the league, but it is divided into two distinct seasons: Apertura and Clausura, each with its own playoff stage and the potential to produce two different champions each year.
At the conclusion of the 17-game regular Clausura season, the top four teams (Monterrey, America, Chivas, and Toluca) qualified automatically for the quarterfinals, while the next eight teams competed in a preliminary round to determine the final four teams (Santos Laguna, Atletico San Luis, ATLAS, and UANL). Following the elimination of eight teams, only four remain for the semi-finals.
Club America Offers Little Value
Club America finished atop the goalscoring charts in the Clausura regular season, scoring 36 times in 17 games, and its free-scoring style has been consistent throughout. Henry Martin, the Mexican international who scored 14 goals during the regular season and led his team and the entire Clausura in scoring, deserves much of the credit.
Luis Angel Malagon, who replaced Oscar Jimenez in goal and has been performing well in recent weeks, has been the key factor at the opposite end of the pitch.
Club America defeated Atletico San Luis in a high-scoring quarterfinal match, largely due to the three goals it scored in the first leg. In the semi-finals, it will face Chivas, with which it tied in points during the regular season but given that there is not much between the two teams, there seems to be little value in betting on Club America in the Futures market at this time.
Great Chance for Monterrey
It is not a huge surprise that Monterrey is a co-favorite here, as it finished the regular season with a six-point lead over its closest rival and the team will be tough to beat.
Monterrey is strong in virtually every area. Its defense has allowed only 14 goals in 17 games during the regular season, which is an impressive statistic. It has several notable playmakers and arguably the most fervent fan base in the country, not to mention the wisdom and experience of head coach Victor Manuel Vucetich.
The Liga MX's most well-balanced team has not surprisingly posted the best goal difference during the regular season, and the only slight cause for concern for Monterrey fans was a pair of losses in April. It easily defeated Santos Laguna in the quarterfinals, and its semi-final opponent is the weakest of the four remaining teams, so it has a great chance to win the tournament.
Chivas Offers Value in Clausura
Chivas has not played spectacular football in Clausura, but thanks to head coach Veljko Paunovic, the team has been extremely effective and difficult to defeat.
It has improved from mid-table mediocrity to genuine title contenders under Paunovic's leadership. It finished third in the table, tied with Club America in terms of points, and its season was marked by squeaking out victories in close contests, although towards the end of the regular season, it recorded an impressive four-game winning streak, with forward duo Alexis Vega and Victor Guzman prominent.
Chivas reverted to a more familiar style against Atlas in the quarterfinals, as it lost the first leg 1-0 before winning 1-0 at home to advance, and this trademark resilience gives the team a good chance of advancing past Club America and into the final, so it could offer value.
Tigres Hits Its Ceiling
Tigres is the only remaining team that did not finish in the top four and had to advance through the preliminary round with a 1-0 victory over Puebla. It was then involved in a dramatic quarterfinal match against Toluca, winning 4-1 at home before losing 3-1 in the second leg, which was still sufficient to advance by a single goal.
The squad boasts a number of experienced players, led by Andre-Pierre Gignac, the veteran striker, and based on its depth of talent, it could have performed better during the regular season. Nevertheless, the lack of consistency displayed in the quarterfinals suggests that the team from Monterrey may have reached its ceiling in Clausura, for this season at least.
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