Tijuana vs. Cruz Azul Prediction: League Leaders Look to Crush Eighth Seed Spirits

Wednesday evening first place finishers in the 2004 Apertura regular season, Cruz Azul will travel down to Estadio Caliente to clash against Tijuana. This first-leg playoff encounter sees the visitors enjoy the head-to-head advantage as they have won 14 times in their previous 30 encounters. The hosts have managed to defeat Cruz Azul in seven instances and drawn nine times inside the same time frame. 

Juan Carlos Osorio’s men have already endured a stretch of a compact schedule playing two play-in games to reach the quarterfinal stage. Tijuana lost to Club America in penalties, given a second playoff lifeline, Los Xolos topped Atlas in the No. 8 seed match to advance. 

Meanwhile, Martin Anselmi’s troops will look to regain their winning ways as they closed out the 2024 Apertura regular season drawing their last two matches. Through 17 Liga MX games, Cruz Azul were only toppled once, losing to San Luis back on September 17. 

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

Tijuana vs. Cruz Azul Betting Odds for Wednesday, November 27

With the odds placed by the books, they have pegged the visitors as the most likely side to win inside the 90-minute frame. Cruz Azul are priced at -112 in the moneyline 3-way market while the hosts are listed at +310 to pull off the upset. If this tilt is tied after 90 minutes the draw is inked down at +250.

Tijuana 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 $150 in Bonus Bets.

Tijuana vs. Cruz Azul Betting Preview

Tijuana Preview

The most potent striker for Tijuana this domestic season was Christian Rivera. The 28-year-old managed to net five goals in 16 matches to lead his side. The midfielder has gone six straight appearances without hitting the stat sheet, look for him on Wednesday to drive the attack with his presence. 

Between the sticks, Jose Antonio Rodriguez has looked subpar in his 12 starts during the regular season and two postseason appearances. The keeper only collected two clean sheets all year while maintaining an insufficient save percentage below 68 percent.

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Cruz Azul Betting Preview

Finishing the Apertura season with the second most goals scored in 2024, Angel Sepulveda will look to carry La Maquina to a healthy aggregate scoreline back home for the return match. The 33-year-old striker tallied nine goals in 17 outings. In 53 games across all competitions with Cruz Azul, Sepulveda has amassed 18 goals. 

Another key figure that drives the attack is the primary positioned left wing-back, Carlos Rotondi. The 27-year-old obtained seven goals and four assists in 1375 minutes played this campaign. Rotondi has worn Los Celestes colours in 94 instances since 2022, securing 18 goals in all competitive matches.

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Tijuana vs. Cruz Azul- My Pick

• Tijuana vs. Cruz Azul pick: Cruz Azul moneyline 3-way (-112) at bet365

Regardless of Tijuana’s strong play at Estadio Caliente, we feel Cruz Azul should outclass them in this spot on Wednesday. The Machines went full throttle on the scoreboard this year finishing as a club with 39 goals being scored. This roster can get a scoring contribution from any positional player as Cruz Azul had six different goal-scorers who netted three or more during the regular season. Cruz Azul finished first overall for a reason with their solid attacking abilities and sturdy defense that only conceded 12 goals all year. We feel Tijuana could be overwhelmed by the visitors as they have looked like a juggernaut of a side in Liga MX.

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How to Watch Tijuana vs. Cruz Azul

• When: November 27, 8 p.m ET

• Where: Estadio Caliente

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