The regular phase of the 2022 Liga MX Opening Tournament is about to conclude after matchday 15, where most of the teams have only one game left to play after Matchday 16 was moved forward a few weeks ago because of the upcoming Liguilla.
After two weeks of rest following the FIFA break, we have reached matchday 17, the last matchday of this regular phase, which will be the last chance for many teams to get into the playoff positions as in the direct Liguilla.
Some teams have already secured their place for the postseason party, while others are already eliminated and should be thinking about the closing tournament.
Unless an unexpected result occurs on this last day of the tournament, the 4 teams that will go directly to the quarterfinals of the Liguilla are América, Monterrey, Pachuca, and Santos, the only thing left to know is the order in which they will finish in the standings.
In the playoff zone, the possibilities are very wide, as the table is likely to move a lot in the zone from 5th to 12th place, where practically all the teams still have the option of qualifying for the next Liguilla. Only Pumas, Atlas, and Querétaro have no chance of qualifying.
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The first match of the day will be Puebla vs. América, where the only thing at stake is to see in which position Puebla will finish playing in the playoffs, while América wants to secure its first place in the table. If Juárez beats Pumas, it would momentarily qualify for the playoffs but would have to hope that neither Mazatlán nor San Luis wins.
San Luis will be playing for their lives against Tigres, but it depends on them to qualify; if they win, they will enter the playoffs. Monterrey and Pachuca will fight for second place in the table, as they are second and third respectively.
Santos will play against Mazatlán, who, if they want to qualify, must win and hope that San Luis does not win, and Santos could aspire to third place if Pachuca loses, by an overwhelming goal difference.
Next, we will have a preview of the best matches of this 17th matchday of the Opening Tournament 2022 of the Liga MX, with their respective betting odds and free picks.
Liga MX Matchday 17 – Preview – Puebla vs. América – Info
When: Friday, September 30 at 08:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:Puebla +208 / América +122 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +260
Where Can I Watch? Fox Sports / Fanatiz
Although this match between Puebla and América does not represent something significant for both teams on this final matchday, both will be looking for a win to finish in the best possible position in the standings. This match will be played next Friday, September 30 at Estadio Cuauhtémoc, home of Puebla, at 8:00 pm ET.
La Franja secured its playoff berth after its two most recent wins in the tournament, first against Tigres UANL and then against Pumas, both by a score of 2-1. Before these two victories, Puebla had gone 12 consecutive matches without a win, with 10 draws and 2 defeats.
Currently, with their place in the playoffs assured, they are in seventh place in the standings and, if they obtain three points in this match, they could take sixth place from Toluca.
Puebla was one of the favorite teams to be fighting for the Liguilla quarterfinals, but their performance throughout the tournament decreased, and they struggled to enter the playoffs.
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On the other hand, América continues with its excellent momentum after winning yet another matchday 15 of the opening tournament and thus remaining at the top of the general classification table with 35 points, only 1 point ahead of Monterrey.
América, who have already qualified for the quarterfinals of the Liguilla, come to this match with the mission of obtaining the three points that will allow it to secure first place in the standings. In their last match, they got a comfortable 1-3 away victory over Chivas de Guadalajara.
Although there is nothing important at stake in this match, we believe that both teams will give their best in the 90 minutes and, therefore, our selection is a 1-1 draw in the final score.
Puebla vs. América Betting Pick: Draw
Liga MX Matchday 17 – Preview – Tigres UANL vs. Atlético San Luis – Info
When: Saturday, October 01 at 06:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:Tigres +114 / San Luis +234 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +255
Where Can I Watch? Fox Sports / Fanatiz.
At the close of the regular phase of the Liga MX 2022 Opening Tournament, Tigres visits San Luis this Saturday, October 1, 2022, for Matchday 17 at the Alfonso Lastras Ramírez Stadium at 6:00 pm ET.
Atlético San Luis comes into this match playing for its life in the tournament, as it must get three points to ensure its presence in the playoffs. They are currently in 12th place in the standings, the last playoff spot, with Mazatlán, Juárez, and Tijuana as their main threats on this last matchday.
Atlético has just lost its last game against Pachuca by a score of 1-2 and, as mentioned, they need to win to secure their place in the playoffs.
On the other hand, we have Tigres UANL, a team that has already secured fifth place in the general classification table and its place in the playoffs. Unless this match ends with a historic win, Tigres will play in the next playoff.
Tigres have had a very irregular last few weeks in which it has not been able to string together a winning streak and, as a result, is not among the direct qualifiers for the quarterfinals of the Liguilla. In their last match, they were unable to overcome Puebla and were defeated by a score of 1-2.
For this match, our selection is a 0-0 draw.
Tigres UANL vs Atlético San Luis Betting Pick: Draw.
Liga MX Matchday 17 – Preview – Monterrey vs. Pachuca – Info
When: Saturday, October 01 at 06:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:Monterrey +111 / Pachuca +240 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +255
Where Can I Watch? Fox Sports / Fanatiz.
Rayados and Tuzos will meet this Saturday, October 1, 2022, at the “Gigante de Acero” Stadium, or BBVA Stadium, in the match corresponding to the 17th day of the Liga MX opening tournament.
The match looks to be a true Liguilla match, as both teams have already secured their place in the quarterfinals and are among the best teams in the league in this tournament.
The difference between Monterrey and Pachuca is only 3 points and, for the Tuzos to finish in second place in the standings, they must win this match by a two-goal difference or more.
Monterrey continues to be on a strong pace this season, playing at a highly competitive level and, thanks to this, it is in second place in the overall standings. Rayados come into this match with a streak of 5 consecutive matches without defeat, with 4 wins and 1 draw.
In the last match played, Monterrey obtained a very good victory against Atlas, with a score of 2-0.
On the other hand, we have Pachuca, another of the great teams of Mexican soccer, who arrive at this matchday with a guaranteed place in the quarterfinals of the next Liguilla, after an excellent awakening in the second part of the tournament.
Pachuca is coming off a very good victory in its last match against San Luis, with a score of 2-1.
Despite the great equality between these two teams, we believe that the Regios will take advantage of their local condition to win, which is why our winner’s chip is for them.
Monterrey vs Pachuca Betting Pick: Monterrey.
Liga MX Matchday 17 – Preview – Cruz Azul vs. Guadalajara – Info
When: Saturday, October 01 at 10:05 pm ET
Moneyline odds:Cruz Azul +148 / Guadalajara +188 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +234
Where Can I Watch? Fox Sports / Fanatiz.
Finally, we close this Liga MX matchday 17 previews with the great match between Cruz Azul and Chivas de Guadalajara, which will be played next Saturday, October 1, 2022, at the Azteca Stadium, home of Cruz Azul at 10:05 pm ET.
Cruz Azul seems to have woken up in the final part of the regular season and, with 3 consecutive wins, it has managed to get into the playoffs, specifically, in 10th place in the table with 21 points, thus ensuring that it will continue with the hope of playing in the next Liguilla.
La Maquina Cementera, with a win, could secure a home playoff game, hence the importance of the victory. They are coming off their third consecutive win over Pumas, with a score of 2-1.
On the other hand, Chivas de Guadalajara achieved an important winning streak in the second half of the tournament that allowed it to climb up to the playoff zone and thus ensure its participation in it.
Despite the good moment they were living, they come to this match on a streak of 2 consecutive defeats, the first against Tigres UANL with a score of 1-4, and the second against América with a score of 1-2.
For this match, we believe that the teams will not be able to do much damage to each other on the field and, for this reason, our selection is a 1-1 draw.
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