Pachuca will try to maintain its momentum against regular-season league winner Cruz Azul on Wednesday night in the first leg of its semifinal matchup in the Mexican Liga MX playoffs. Pachuca survived a thrilling quarterfinal matchup with Club America after a 3-1 win in the first leg. It lost the rematch 4-2 but advanced on away goals. Cruz Azul lost its first-leg match with Toluca but rallied for a 3-1 win in the second leg to stay on track for a shot at the final.
Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET at Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico. Pachuca is a 0.5-goal and slight +165 money-line favorite (risk $100 to win $155) in the latest Cruz Azul vs. Pachuca odds from William Hill Sportsbook, and the over-under for total goals scored is 2.5. Before you make any Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul picks, check out the Liga MX predictions from SportsLine's Martin Green.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper. Since then, his soccer picks have been spot-on. In fact, Green has generated $19,000 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season.
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Now, Green has broken down Cruz Azul vs. Pachuca in the Liga MX playoffs. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several odds and trends for Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul:
- Cruz Azul vs. Pachuca spread: Pachuca -0.5
- Cruz Azul vs. Pachuca over-under: 2.5 goals
- Cruz Azul vs. Pachuca money line: Cruz Azul +170, Pachuca +165, Draw +210
- CA: La Maquina led the league in shots over the two seasons with 500 in 34 matches.
- PAC: Roberto de La Rosa puts more than 54 percent of his shots on target (ninth in Liga MX).
Why you should back Pachuca
Los Tuzos have been on an impressive run, going 8-2-2 in their last 12 matches and scoring 26 goals in that span. Advancing past a strong Club America squad will instill even more confidence, and Pachuca had scored at least three goals in three straight games before Sunday's second-leg loss. Striker Roberto de La Rosa and center forward Ismael Sosa are dangerous finishers, with a combined for 11 goals over the two Liguillas, and eight players have scored multiple goals.
Midfielder Erick Sanchez had four goals, and he has a strong working relationship with de la Rosa, with both 21-year-olds coming up through the team's youth academy. Pachuca has dominated Cruz Azul at Estadio Hidalgo with the exception of a 1-0 loss in January. In the previous three meetings on Pachuca's home turf, it had outscored La Maquina 9-1. Pachuca allows just over a goal a game, and goalkeeper Oscar Ustari has a 75.9 save percentage.
Why you should back Cruz Azul
La Maquina dominated Liga MX throughout the Clausura, going 13-2-2 and scoring 26 goals. It had a plus-15 goal differential, compared to Pachuca's plus-1, and was held off the score sheet just twice. Cruz Azul won six of its eight Clausura road matches, allowing an average of just 0.25 goals, and has won three straight against Los Tuzos.
Jonathan Rodriguez has been the league's top scorer over the past year with 21 goals in 31 matches. He also had five assists, while Luis Romo has 10, tied for the league's most. Orbelin Pineda, Santiago Gimenez and Roberto Alvarado have combined for 11 goals and 10 assists, and defender Juan Escobar (three goals, four assists) contributes on both ends of the pitch. Goalkeeper Jose Corona led Liga MX with 14 clean sheets in 31 matches and had an 81.5 save percentage.
How to make Liga MX picks for Cruz Azul vs. Pachuca
Green has analyzed this matchup and is going over the total 2.5 goals, and he's also revealed his best bets and analysis for Wednesday's matchup. He's only sharing his top picks here.
So who wins Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the top picks for Cruz Azul vs. Pachuca, all from the proven soccer expert who has generated $19,000 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season.
