Başakşehir vs Konyaspor Prediction

Alright, footy fans! Friday night in Istanbul and we've got a tasty Süper Lig clash as Başakşehir host Konyaspor. Now, if you're looking for a safe harbor in the betting storm, you might just find it here with the home side, and I'll tell you why.

Başakşehir are sitting pretty in 6th spot with 36 points, and their recent form is proper solid – six wins in their last ten, including that cracking 4-1 away day at Fatih Karagümrük in the cup and a hard-fought 2-1 win at Alanyaspor last time out. Yeah, they took a knock at home to Beşiktaş (2-3), but don't let that fool you. These lads have been finding the net for fun, bagging 21 goals in their last ten outings. The only worry? Their home form has been a bit patchy lately with three draws in their last six at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium, but they remain a tough nut to crack on their own patch.

Now, Konyaspor – what a mixed bag! They absolutely shocked the league leaders Galatasaray with a 2-0 win last weekend. Massive result, that. But here's the rub: they're 13th in the table for a reason, and their away form is about as reliable as British summertime. They've lost 60% of their last five on the road, scoring just one goal per game away from home while shipping 1.4. That home win against Gala was their fortress, but on the road? Different story entirely.

The head-to-head makes for lovely reading if you're backing the hosts. Başakşehir have won four of the last five home meetings against Konyaspor – that's an 80% win rate, mate. They even won 2-1 away at Konyaspor back in September, so they've got the Indian sign over them.

Key Points:

• Başakşehir have won 6 of their last 10 games, averaging 2.1 goals per match

• Konyaspor have lost 60% of their recent away games and struggle for goals on the road

• The hosts boast an 80% win rate against Konyaspor at home (4 wins from 5)

• Başakşehir create more chances (14.67 shots/game vs 11.17) with better accuracy

• Konyaspor's 2-0 win over Galatasaray shows they can raise their game, but away days are their weakness

Summary:

The 1.70 on offer for a Başakşehir win looks about right to me, maybe even a touch generous given their historical dominance at home against this lot. Konyaspor might be buzzing after beating Gala, but their away day blues are hard to ignore. I'm backing the hosts to get back to winning ways on their own turf.