Cruz Azul vs. Atlas F.C. Prediction: La Maquina Look To Start On a Positive Note

Saturday evening Cruz Azul will welcome Atlas F.C. down to Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes. The most recent encounter between these two adversaries took place in November, which saw both clubs share the points as they tied 2-2 back in Estadio Jalisco. Dating back to 2010, the head-to-head battle has been closely contested, in their previous 33 clashes, Cruz Azul has won on 13 occasions versus Atlas F.C’s 11. 

It was a tale of two seasons for Martin Anselmi’s men in the 2024 Apertura. Cruz Azul finished first overall in the regular season table finishing with 42 points and a plus 27 goal differential. Looking in prime position to capture their first league title since 2021, they were dismantled by their Clasico Joven foes, Club America. 

Meanwhile, Gonzalo Pineda will make his coaching debut in Mexico on Saturday, looking to build upon last tournament's subpar record. Atlas finished the 2024 Apertura with 22 points, good enough for 10th place and a spot in the play-in round. Atlas were throttled by Tijuana in the play-in phase, suffering a 3-0 setback. 

Here, we will break down the betting odds and share our favourite picks for Cruz Azul vs. Atlas F.C.

Cruz Azul vs. Atlas F.C. Betting Odds for Saturday, January 11

With the implied odds presented by the books, Cruz Azul is favoured to win by more than a goal. Turning to the alternate Asian spread, La Maquina -1 is priced at -190 while Atlas F.C. +1 is listed at +143.

Cruz Azul vs. Atlas F.C. Odds

The following odds are taken from bet365 Sportsbook. Use our promo code WSN365 at bet365 to claim your bonus of choice: $1,000 Safety Net Bet OR $150 in Bonus Bets.

Cruz Azul vs. Atlas F.C. Betting Preview

Cruz Azul Preview

The dependable veteran forward, Angel Sepulveda assembled a solid 2024 Apertura season. The 33-year-old registered 10 goals in 21 appearances between the regular season and playoffs. Since joining Los Celestes, Sepulveda has garnered 19 goals in all fixtures played.

Arguably the second-best scoring threat on the squad is Georgios Giakoumakis. The Greek international showed no signs of struggling to adapt to a new league and country in his first taste of Liga MX. In his 16 league appearances, the 30-year-old hit the back of the net on seven occasions.

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Atlas F.C. Preview

Still, in search of opening up his Liga MX account, Uros Durdevic will be counted on to supply some goal contributions to his side. Under 11 outings in an Atlas kit, the 30-year-old striker only managed to catalogue six shots in 217 minutes of play during the 2024 Apertura regular season. 

Joining the club on loan from MLS side C.F. Montreal, Matias Coccaro will try to impress his new outfit in the 2025 Clausura campaign. The Uruguayan scraped together four goals during his 2024 MLS regular season play. Per 90 minutes, the forward averaged 1.29 shots on target in his first year with Montreal.

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Cruz Azul vs. Atlas F.C. - My Pick

• Cruz Azul vs. Atlas F.C. pick: Cruz Azul alternate Asian spread -1 (-190) at bet365

Despite Cruz Azul only defeating Atlas by two goals, once in their last seven victories, we feel last season's number-one seed will put on a show on Saturday. Cruz Azul did obtain the best defence in the 2024 Apertura, only conceding 12 goals all season while exhibiting a potent attack averaging 2.1 goals scored per match. Cruz Azul has retained most of its roster from last year’s dominant play during Liga MX play. We sense this is a situational spot for the home team to completely overwhelm the visitors in the 2025 Clausura opening weekend.

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How to Watch Cruz Azul vs. Atlas F.C.

• When: January 11, 10 p.m. ET

• Where: Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes

• TV: FOX Deportes, Univision, UniMas, Telemundo, Universo, TUDN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+ and ViX+