Monterrey +350 Favorites to Win Mexico’s Liga MX Guardianes

• Apertura section of the two-part competition returns under new name of ‘Guardianes’
• Monterrey won Apertura last season while Cruz Azul led Clausura before abandonment in March
• See all odds and best bets for Mexico’s Liga MX Guardianes starting on Friday

Mexico’s Liga MX returns on Friday with the start of the newly-named Torneo Guardianes which will begin the 2020-21 season.

The league is plagued by coronavirus problems but is plowing ahead anyway after the 2019-20 Clausura section of the two-part competition was abandoned in March as the pandemic hit global soccer.

In fact, the planned opening match  scheduled for Thursday between Atletico San Luis and FC Juarez was postponed at least until Monday after seven positive tests for the virus among the staff of Juarez.

The opening fixture will now take place between Necaxa and Tigres UANL at 8:30 pm EST.

Mexico Liga MX Apertura 2020 Winner Odds

All odds taken on July 23

Mexico’s biggest club, CF Monterrey, are favorites to win the title with bookmakers at +350 followed by Cruz Azul at + 400.

It is Cruz Azul who look the best bet based on their form earlier this year and in the recent pre-season games.

Monterrey were the winners of the opening Apertura championship of 2019-20  last winter – defeating Club America 4-2 on a penalty shoot-out in the final after a 3-3 draw on aggregate over the two-legged final.

They had been the lowest- placed qualifiers from the regular season after finishing eighth in the standings.

Semifinalists at Club World Cup

The team showed their strength when they took part in the FIFA Club World Cup in December where they were beaten by eventual winners Liverpool in the semifinal.

The Tigres UANL team are also priced at +400 with Club America at +600 and Santos Laguna at +800.

Each Liga MX season is split into two sections; the Guardianes which was formerly known as the Apertura and the Clausura.

Liga MX postpones opening match between Atletico San Luis-FC Juarez until Monday (pending further test results) with positive coronavirus cases rising in league #ligamxeng https://t.co/1D1o182gHh

— Tom Marshall (@mexicoworldcup) July 22, 2020

The Apertura has now been re-named as the “Guardianes” in honor of the efforts of the nation’s health workers during the pandemic crisis.

There is a new format for the post-season playoffs with the top four clubs in the regular season advancing to the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, fifth place to 12th place will play an elimination round of games to decide the other four quarterfinalists.

Monterrey are favorites even though they were  bottom with only five points when the Clausura was abandoned.

When the Clausura section was halted in March after 10 rounds of games, Cruz Azul were leaders on 22 points.

They were followed by Leon on 21 points, Santos Laguna on 17 points and Club America on 17 points.

Monterrey are favorites for the new Gaurdianes tournament even though they were in bottom place with only five points – five defeats and five draws –  when the Clausura was abandoned.

They have not spent big on new players but will be boosted in defense by the return of Mexican international goalkeeper Hugo Gonzalez from a two-year loan at Necaxa.

Pre-Season Cup Win for Cruz Azul

As a current form guide, Cruz Azul were the winners of the eight-team pre-season GNP Cup for Mexico tournament.

They scored a 4-1 win over Guardianes’ fourth favorites Club America during the early stages of the competition and scored a win on penalties against Liga MX third favorites Tigres in the semifinal.

Add Mazatlan vs Puebla to the list. Now the 2nd Liga MX game delayed due to COVID-19 in the first week back. #LigaMXeng https://t.co/3bKrKyPZLP

— Cesar Hernandez (@cesarhfutbol) July 23, 2020

When the Clausura was halted, leaders Cruz Azul had racked up seven wins with one draw and two defeats.

Their Uruguayan international Jonathan Fernandez was the leading scorer at the time with nine goals.

Leo Fernandez had scored eight goals in 10 loan games for Toluca before the Clausura was suspended in March.

However, Tigres are fancied for a strong challenge in the Guardianes after the return of Argentine attacking midfielder Leo Fernandez from a loan spell at Toluca.

He had scored eight goals in 10 loan games for Toluca before the Clausura was suspended in March.

He will team up with the side’s long-serving French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac who has scored 107 goals in five years with the team.

Club America had made a decent start before the Clausura came to a halt and were in fourth place after five wins, two draws and three defeats.

@CruzAzulCD and @TigresOficial square off in a #CopaGNPPorMexico semifinal tonight. Here's my take on the prospects for these two clubs heading into #Guardianes2020. #LigaMXeng @The_MaquinaEN @tigres_english @GolazodelGringo https://t.co/ClzN3IaRNw

— Thomas M. Buckley (@TomBuckley519) July 15, 2020

They were winners of the Apertura in 2018 and will be looking to make a good impression in this campaign after the disappointment of narrowly losing last season’s Apertura final against Monterrey.

Santos Laguna were Clausura champions in 2018 and must be taken note of after finishing top of the regular season standings in last winter’s Apertura – although they exited at the first knockout stage against Monterrey.

Chivas Guadalajara are some tipsters’ dark horses to win the championship. They were boosted in the truncated Clausura tournament by 20-year-old Mexican international striker Jose Macias who scored four goals in eight appearances after his return from an impressive loan spell at Leon.

Pick: Cruz Azul +400