Liga NOS Matchday 15 Odds & Picks: Sporting-Porto the Marquee Matchup

• Matchday 15’s prime matchup pits third-place Sporting (+225) against second-place Porto (+118) in a highly-anticipated showdown
• League leaders Benfica (-135) face a serious away test at fifth-place Vitoria Guimaraes (+340)
• Slumping Famalicao (-113) look to snap a five-game winless skid as they host a surging Vitoria Setubal (+280)

It’s Matchday 15 in Portugal’s Liga NOS, and here are three matchups worth keeping an eye on — especially given this column’s 25-12 (.676) record on the season.

Sporting vs. Porto Odds

All odds taken Jan. 2.

It’s been a stop-and-start sort of season thus far for Sporting (8-2-4), who struggled out of the gate — showing manager Marcel Keizer the door in the process — but have won nine of 12 under new boss Silas en route to a surge up the Liga table.

They’re now comfortably back into the Top 3 in league play and are not only still alive in both the league cup and UEFA Europa League, but face winnable matchups in each against Braga and Istanbul Basaksehir respectively.

Porto (11-2-1) are in much the same position, trailing Benfica in the league but still very much contending in three cup competitions (UEFA Europa League, Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga). For a team that’s won 11 of 14 to begin the season, Sergio Conceicao’s team still doesn’t quite feel right — as evidenced by nervy results in league play and Europe.

Captain and midfield dynamo Danilo was limited in training during the week, but should factor for the visitors in Sunday’s showdown at the Alvalade.

If Sporting is to have any kind of success in the clássico, it will likely come via the feet of talismanic midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

Pick: Sporting pk, +0.5 (-101)

Vit. Guimaraes vs. Benfica Odds

While Lisbon will have most of the attention on Sunday, Saturday’s primetime slot belongs to a tasty matchup between an entertaining but inconsistent Vitoria Guimaraes (5-6-3) and top-table Benfica (13-0-1).

Guimaraes have a whole bunch of intriguing players — most notably electric English loanee Marcus Edwards, along with fellow youngster Tapsoba — but haven’t put it together consistently for manager Ivo Vieira.

Benfica flexed their relative financial muscle this week, signing Dortmund’s Julian Weigl on a 20M euro deal. Though he won’t feature this weekend, it’s a clear sign to the rest of Portugal: Bruno Lage’s outfit is not satisfied with the status quo, despite having won 13 of 14 out of the gate.

Think about the goal totals here: Benfica have gone “Over” in nine of their last 10, while Guimaraes have done the same in each of their last three.

Pick: O 2.5 (-118)

Famalicao vs. Vitoria Setubal Odds

Looking at form charts, Famalicao (7-3-4) and Setubal (4-7-3) have basically been opposites.

While Famalicao raced to a shock top-three place out of the gate, Setubal — in the first division since 2004 — stumbled and sat in the relegation zone, unable to score.

The last six weeks, however, have been a different story: Famalicao is winless in five and has lost three-straight outings, while Setubal has chalked up results under new manager Julio Velazquez, who has also shifted the team to a more attacking, energetic style.

It’s worth noting that Setubal will be without frontman Hildeberto Pereira, who scored in each of the team’s last two wins.

Famalicao have bled goals, conceding 14 over their last five league games, leaving the door open for a Setubal away goal; if the visitors strike first, a green-and-white result could be on the cards.

Pick: Vit. Setubal +0.5 (-107)