Santos vs Palmeiras Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper look at this one. It's a classic tale of two halves - Palmeiras sitting pretty at the top of the table with 68 points, while Santos are languishing down in 17th with just 33 points. That's a massive gap, and the recent form tells the same story.

Santos have been proper struggling lately, mate. Just one win in their last ten games, and that was against Corinthians way back in October. They've been drawing a fair bit - five draws in those ten matches - but they're shipping goals for fun (1.6 per game) and barely keeping clean sheets (just one in ten). They've just lost 2-0 to these very same Palmeiras a few days ago, and before that got beaten 3-2 by Flamengo. Not great reading, is it?

Palmeiras, on the other hand, are flying high. Sure, they've had a couple of recent losses, but they're still averaging 1.7 points per game and scoring nearly two goals per match. They've got a 50% clean sheet rate and just beat Santos 2-0 in their last meeting. The head-to-head record is brutal for Santos - Palmeiras have won six of the nine meetings between them.

But here's the interesting bit - Santos are at home, and they do tend to draw a lot. Plus, Palmeiras have been a bit leaky on their travels, conceding two goals per game away from home. Santos might be struggling, but they do score in 60% of their games, and at home they'll fancy their chances against a Palmeiras defense that's been generous on the road.

The stats show Santos average 1.0 goals at home, while Palmeiras net 1.6 away. With both teams likely to find the net, the Both Teams to Score market at 1.80 looks like it might have a bit of value about it.