Laura Rozo
Porto vs Rio Ave will be a great match in this Saturday’s Primeira Liga Matchday 21. The teams are far apart in the standings, and each will be fighting for their short-term goals. Porto is one of the great candidates to win the title, but every point is vital because for now Benfica is in the lead; whereas Rio Ave intends to add points and enter, at least, the Top 10 of the standings.
As promised, at JefeBet we present our analysis, predictions, and other information on the matchup between these two historic clubs of the Primeira Liga: Porto vs Rio Ave will be a clash with a desire for victory in Portuguese soccer.
We encourage you to check out our reviews of BetMGM and Unibet, the odds’ providers for this preview.
Predictions, Picks, and Betting Odds for Porto vs Rio Ave Primeira Liga Matchday 21 Game on February 18, 2023
- Where: Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal
- When: Saturday, February 18, 2023, 03:30 PM ET
- BetMGM Moneyline: Porto (-650) / Tie (+600) / Rio Ave (+1450)
- Unibet Asian Handicap: Porto (AH -2, +100) / Rio Ave (AH +2, -121)
- BetMGM Over/Under (2.5): Over (+175), Under (+120)
- Both teams score from BetMGM:Yes (+150) / No (-225)
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Betting on FC Porto
Porto is currently in second place in the Primeira Liga standings. The team coached by Sérgio Conceição has 15 wins, three draws, and two defeats so far this season.
The Dragons are the only team with five consecutive victories in the last five matchdays, so they will come to the Porto vs Rio Ave match in high spirits and even with the need to win in order to keep up with Benfica, who is currently leading the tournament.
In its last match against Sporting Lisbon, Porto won 2-1. Mateus Uribe and Pepê scored the winning goals. Although possession was not its strong suit during the match, it did manage to be accurate in the middle of its ten shots.
Possible Lineup (4-4-2): Diogo Costa; João Mário Lopes, Pepe, Marcano, Zaidú Sanusi; André Franco, Mateus Uribe, Marko Grujić, Galeno; Mehdi Taremi, Pepê.
Betting on Rio Ave FC
In its most recent league match against Estoril, Rio Ave came away with a great 2-0 victory. The first goal was scored in the 65th minute by André Pereira from the penalty spot. In extra time, it was João Graça who scored the winner, confirming that the changes worked well for the coach, as two players who came on in the second half were the ones who made the difference.
The team coached by Luis Freire occupies the 11th place in the Primeira Liga with 24 points from six wins, six draws, and eight defeats. For this new Porto vs Rio Ave clash, the team from Vilacondense is expected to win to get closer to Chaves and enter the top 10 of the Portuguese tournament.
Possible Lineup (3-4-3): Jhonatan; Josué Sá, Renato Pantalon, Patrick William; Costinha, Andreas Samaris, Gonçalo Rodrigues, Fábio Ronaldo; Miguel Baeza, Emmanuel Boateng, Leonardo Ruiz.
JefeBet Prediction
Considering its last results, we believe that it will be the home team who will win this Porto vs Rio Ave matchup. In the last two matches, the team has had its best performance of the tournament; plus, they have not allowed more than one goal per match for several matchdays.
Prediction: Porto wins 2-0.
