Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul Prediction: La Maquina Look to Maintain Top Spot

Saturday evening at Estadio Hidalgo Pachuca will welcome first-place Cruz Azul in a crucial contest. Head-to-head this affair has been closely contested as Cruz Azul has won on 13 occasions versus Pachuca’s 11, while both sides have shared a result in eight instances over their previous 32 clashes. 

Guillermo Almada’s troops are coming off a 3-2 road win over Puebla last weekend. With the win, Los Tuzos snapped their eight-game winless run in all competitions, with their previous victory occurring back on July 16. The offensive outburst was the first time Pachuca registered three goals in a match since their CONCACAF Champions Cup title triumph over the Columbus Crew in June. 

Meanwhile, Martin Anselmi’s men bounced back after suffering their first defeat in the 2024 Liga MX Apertura campaign, defeating Chivas Guadalajara 1-0. Inside the 90 minutes, Los Celestes controlled most of the play maintaining 57 percent of the possession while outshooting Chivas 18 to 12. 

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

Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul Betting Odds for Saturday, September 28

Heading into Saturday's affair, the visitors have been pegged by the books as the likeliest side to avoid a defeat. In the draw no bet market, Cruz Azul is listed at -150 while Pachuca is priced at +110.

Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul 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 $200 in Bonus Bets.

Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul Betting Preview

Pachuca Preview

Hitting the scoresheet twice last weekend, Nelson Deossa cracked his eight-game goalless run in domestic play. The defensive midfielder had a busy evening around the opposing keeper as he recorded six shots toward the net in 90 minutes of work. The 24-year-old has 39 games of experience in Liga MX, all with Pachuca, and has secured six career goals. 

Despite helping his side cataloging three points, between the sticks Carlos Moreno allowed two goals off four shots on target. With his most recent outing, his save percentage went down a few digits as the netminder now possesses a 66.7 save percentage. In nine starts in goal in the Apertura, the 26-year-old has conceded 13 goals.

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Cruz Azul Preview

Shining between the woodwork Kevin Mier helped his side accumulate their seventh win in the season. The 24-year-old had a busy day in the office as he turned away all six shots he faced, collecting his fifth clean sheet in his ninth start in the 2024 Apertura. Mier is following up from last year’s impressive form where he picked up 10 clean sheets in 23 starts between the regular season and playoffs.

Already tying his career high in goals, Ignacio Rivero bagged the winning goal against Chivas. His fourth of the campaign came in the 60th minute as his right foot booted the ball in the top left corner. The 32-year-old central midfielder has represented La Maquina 177 times, in that time he has hit the scorers sheet in 12 instances.

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Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul - My Pick

• Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul pick: Cruz Azul draw no bet (-150) at bet365

Though Pachuca has won the previous two matches against Cruz Azul, think this weekend the trend will reverse with the different circumstances. Cruz Azul is rolling at the moment and has shown no signs of slowing down. La Maquina ranks third away from home in Liga MX and are in pleasant form finding the back of the net as they have scored 10 goals in their last five matches. On the other hand, Pachuca has failed to fetch a clean sheet in their last nine matches in all competitions. Despite playing at home they’re facing a loaded side that has seen eight different scorers garner a goal this Apertura season. Cruz Azul should be able to hang around in this encounter and maintain their top position in the table.

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How to Watch Pachuca vs. Cruz Azul

• When: September 28, 9.05 p.m. ET

• Where: Estadio Hidalgo

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