Athletico-PR vs. Cruzeiro Preview and Free Pick

Matchday 17 of the Brasileirao brings us a great game between a team at the top of the table and one that is looking to rebound when Athletico Paranaense hosts Cruzeiro.

Athletico Paranaense is coming off a 2-0 away win over Vasco, which has helped them climb up the table to fifth with 26 points, but 14 points behind leaders Botafogo.

Cruzeiro lost its last game 1-0 at home to one of the clubs in the lower zone, Goiás, so it is 11th with 22 points, for now qualifying for the next Copa Sudamericana.

When:

Saturday, July 29 at 3:00 pm ET at the Arena da Baixada

Moneyline odds:

Athletico-PR +104 

Cruzeiro +265

Draw Offs:

+229

Where Can I Watch?

ViX and Paramount+

Why Bet on Athletico-PR?

Athletico Paranaense left behind their bad start to the season in the Brasileirão, and now, as in the Copa Libertadores, is living the peak of its performance, ranking fifth with 26 points, fighting for first place. 

Furacao’s last match ended in a 2-0 victory over Vasco da Gama, thanks to goals by Christian and Vitor Bueno. They have lost only two of their last eight games and have conceded three goals in their last five matches, which speaks of the Curitiba team’s defensive improvement. They have also scored seven goals in the same period.

Paranaense, coached by Wesley Carvalho, has two important absentees due to injury: Alex Santana and Christian. The former will be replaced by Agustín Canobbio and the latter by Pablo.

Why Bet on Cruzeiro?

Cruzeiro’s return to the first division has been quite irregular, with six wins, four draws, and six defeats, for a total of 22 points, three points away from the places that qualify for the Copa Libertadores 2024.

The Bestia Negra’s last match ended in a 1-0 defeat against Goiás, a team that is fighting to avoid relegation. The Minas Gerais side has won only two of their most recent 10 games in all competitions, failing to score six times. Having only 16 goals scored has them in the average of mid-table teams, as from eighth onwards all of them have more than 20 conversions.

The club owned by Ronaldo Nazario, and coached by Pepa, has lost defenders Wesley Gasolina, midfielders Ramiro and Daniel Junior, and striker Nikao, but all of them have been substitutes.

Final Betting Analysis: Athletico-PR vs. Cruzeiro

Athletico Paranaense is on track to keep picking up points, thanks to the good momentum it has been enjoying since the arrival of coach Wesley Carvalho. An inconsistent Cruzeiro, which is struggling offensively, makes the ‘Furacao’ a strong candidate to take all three points at home, where they have lost only one of seven games.

The numbers at MyBookie.ag have Athletico-PR as the favorite, as the Moneyline for them shows +104, meanwhile Cruzeiro has +265 and the draw is +229.

The last meeting between the two sides ended 0-0 at the home of Paranaense, who are three games unbeaten against the Bestia Negra, who have not won at the Arena da Baixada for the Brasileirão since July 12, 2017. 

It should be noted that Athletico Paranaense has three clean sheets, while Cruzeiro has not scored twice in a match since June 10, when it drew 2-2 with Bahia.

Go for a straight win for Athletico Paranaense in the Moneyline. If you bet $100 at +104, you will gain $104 for a total payout of $204.