Liga MX Guardianes Round 15 Odds & Picks: Buoyant Necaxa aim for another boost at Queretaro

• Nine fixtures as Mexican league heads towards playoff places shakedown
• Tigres UANL look strong against Juarez while Cruz Azul hope for recovery at Chivas
• See all odds and best bets for Mexico Liga MX Guardianes Round 15

Mexico’s Liga MX Guardianes competition heads into Round 15 with Club Leon clear leaders on 33 points ahead of second-placed Pumas UNAM who have 27 points.

The competition is heading towards its postseason knock-out phase.

The leading four clubs will automatically enter a quarterfinal stage with the winners of ties between the sides placed fourth to 12^th also entering that last eight shoot-out.

Mexico Liga MX Guardianes  Round 15 Odds

Odds taken Oct. 22 at DraftKings.

Pick1: Queretaro vs Necaxa

Necaxa have recovered good form after a dreadful run of five straight defeats in mid-season and have hoisted themselves into position for a playoff place.

After two straight wins and sitting in 11^th place, they look to have surprisingly good value at +255 for an away win against struggling Queretaro at 7:00 PM EST on Saturday.

Oddly, Queretaro are favorites at +105 despite losing their last two games as part of a run of six defeats in nine which has left them second from the bottom in 17^th place. They have won just once in that spell.

The fact that Necaxa are outsiders may be explained by their poor away form of just one win, two draws, and three defeats.

But their recent up-turn points towards an opportunity even though Queretaro have won three times, drawn once, and lost twice at home.

🇲🇽 Liga MX loves Latin American players.

After 🇪🇨 Ecuadorians, 🇨🇴 Colombians and 🇦🇷Argentinians, now the trend is 🇺🇾 Uruguayans. @Lazoninho on the phenomena that might benefit the Mexican national team as well.https://t.co/pp6nmJRPCK

— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) October 21, 2020

Necaxa were in trouble as they slumped to a sequence of five straight defeats between late August and mid-September.

But the rot finally stopped when they claimed a 1-1 draw away against high-flying Pumas UNAM on September 27.

Necaxa have been helped by a burst of good form from 27-year-old Spanish striker Ian Gonzalez Nieto.

That was followed by a 1-0 win away against strugglers Atlas and then, last weekend, a follow-up 2-0 home win against Tijuana, who are currently 14^th.

They have been helped by a burst of good form from 27-year-old Spanish striker Ian Gonzalez Nieto who hit the winner against Atlas and then scored the opening goal in the defeat of Tijuana.

Chula Vista native and former US youth international Fernando Arce Jr gets his first career Liga MX goal. Big win for Necaxa, who move into a Liguilla playoff position with the win. The 23 year old has now featured in 6 straight games. https://t.co/I6Cyg0Su9W

— Future USMNT (@FutureUsmnt) October 17, 2020

Queretaro’s troubles were emphasized by a 2-1 defeat away against the current bottom club Atletico San Luis last weekend.

That came after a 2-1 defeat at home by Monterrey. In fact, Queretaro have lost four of their last six games while drawing twice.

Queretaro were 3-2 away winners at Necaxa last January while Necaxa won the same fixture at home by the same score last December.

Pick: Necaxa +255

Pick 2: Tigres UANL vs Juarez

Tigres UANL are in third place and are enjoying a run of five straight wins in which they have scored 10 goals without conceding once.

They are at home at 9.00 PM EST on Saturday against 13^th-placed Juarez who have lost three times and drawn once in a recent winless run.

That impressive run of clean sheets coupled with their regular goal-scoring rate makes Tigres good value here for  the spread offer of +123 to win by at least two goals with an Asian Handicap of -1.25.

Tigres have been helped by the return to form of veteran French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac.

He scored in both the most recent 2-0 win at fourth-placed Cruz Azul and the 3-0 win at bottom club Atletico San Luis before-hand.

That took his tally for the campaign to 10 and ended a four-game barren spell for the 34-year-old.

Juarez were beaten 3-2 last time out at struggling Mazatlan.

29 points from a possible 33 over @clubleon_en's last 11 games. The best Liga MX team in 2019 and looking like the best team in 2020 as well. 6 points clear at the top of the league. @ClubAmerica_EN drop to 5th – not where you want to be under the new playoff system. #ligamxeng

— Tom Marshall (@mexicoworldcup) October 20, 2020

They can usually be slightly more solid defensively – conceding only 17 all season – but they have scored only 13 times.

Tigres were 3-2 winners at home when the teams last met in March.

Pick: Tigres UANL +123 (Asian Handicap -1.25)

Pick 3: Chivas Guadalajara vs Cruz Azul

Cruz Azul have hit the rocks in recent weeks and have lost their last two games and drawn once.

They are in fourth place thanks to a run of three straight wins before that.

However, there looks to be value in the offer of +205 for a draw away against Chivas Guadalajara who have won twice and drawn once in the last three fixtures.

DraftKings price Cruz Azul slight favorites for a win at +155 with seventh-placed Chivas at +188 at 7:30 PM EST on Sunday.

Given recent form, Chivas are decent value for a victory, too.

Admittedly, Cruz Azul’s most recent set-back was a 2-0 defeat at home against Tigres UANL who are in a hot streak of form.

But the 1-0 defeat away against 10^th-placed Toluca was disappointing.

Guadalajara have recently benefitted from the exploits of five-goal top scorer Jose Macias.

Azul have failed to score in three games with a goalless draw against Club America preceding those defeats.

Guadalajara have recently benefitted from the exploits of five-goal top scorer Jose Macias.

Fans returned to the stands this weekend but how much of a difference did it make? @GolazodelGringo takes a look in his three things for @LigaBBVAMX #LigaMXEng https://t.co/pq1AcPbJdZ

— Fut Mex Nation (@FutMexNation) October 20, 2020

He scored in the 3-2 defeat at home of Atlas in the last fixture. Prior to that, Chivas played out a goalless draw at Tijuana.

But Macias also scored in the 2-1 home defeat of Mazatlan which came beforehand.

Chivas were 2-1 winners at home the last time the sides met in the Liga MX Clausura in July.

Pick: Draw +205