Santos Laguna vs Cruz Azul Odds & Prediction – Liga MX Clausura Final Leg 1

• Santos Laguna have emerged as home favorites over Cruz Azul ahead of the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura final
• Santos have been dominant at home but face a Cruz Azul squad that finished atop the Liga MX Clausura table
• We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends ahead of Thursday night’s clash at Estadio Nuevo Corona

Santos Laguna will be aiming to extend their current win streak on home turf to four matches when they open this year’s Liga MX Torneo Guard1anes Clausura final against Cruz Azul on Thursday night as +138 favorites. Fifth-place finishers on the Liga MX Clausura table, the Verdiblancos make their first trip to the final in three years after defeating Puebla FC by a 3-1 aggregate margin in semifinal action.

Listed as lengthy +235 road underdogs, Cruz Azul make their first final appearance since finishing as runners up in the 2018 Apertura championship stage. La Máquina finished atop the Liga MX Clausura table with a sparkling 13-2-2 win-draw-loss record, but have struggled to produce consistent results in recent outings.

Here’s a look at all the odds and trends ahead of the first leg of the 2021 Torneo Guard1anes Clausura final, which gets underway on Thursday night at 8:00 pm ET at Estadio Nuevo Corona.

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Santos Laguna vs Cruz Azul Odds

Odds as of May 27 at DraftKings

Cruz Azul Dominance Fading in the Postseason

Cruz Azul emerged as a dominant force during the Clausura regular season. A stingy defense was key to the club’s climb to the top of the table. La Máquina surrendered just 11 total goals over 17 contests, while keeping clean sheets on nine occasions. But while they managed to avoid defeat over their final 15 regular season outings, Cruz Azul have struggled to maintain that consistency during the postseason.

Both teams numbers in the playoffs heading into the final *(not counting Santos wild card game against Querétaro)

𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐳 𝐀𝐳𝐮𝐥
Wins 2
Draws 1
Losses 1
GF 5
GA 3
GD 2

𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐧𝐚
Wins 2
Draws 1
Losses 1
GF 6
GA 3
GD 3 pic.twitter.com/mcw4fOvtGl

— The Máquina Cruz Azul (@The_MaquinaEN) May 27, 2021

Overall, the club has earned the win in just three of their past seven overall league matches, and have particularly struggled on the road during that stretch. Cruz Azul won six straight on the road late in the regular season, outscoring opponents by a crushing 8-0 overall margin. However, the club has struggled away from home since, potting just two total goals during their current 0-2-1 run, capped by a scoreless draw with Pachuca in first leg semifinal action a week ago.

Road Wins Rare vs Santos

Cruz Azul have also consistently struggled in recent trips to Santos Laguna, going 0-1-3 in their past four league meetings, including a 1-0 loss in their most recent visit in early January. Leading goalscorer Jonathan Rodriguez has been unusually quiet during the club’s recent slide.

🇺🇾 Jonathan Rodríguez

Podría ser campeón de Liga tanto con Santos como con Cruz Azul.

Tiene 69 goles en LigaMx

⚽️40 goles con la Máquina🔺
⚽️29 goles con los Guerreros🏆 pic.twitter.com/oU7kZgdQdY

— Xavi Sol (@XaviSol_) May 24, 2021

The 27-year-old has found the back of the net 23 times so far this season, but has mustered just a single goal in his past seven appearances across all competitions. Rodriguez has also struggled to produce on the road against Santos Laguna, with his last goal coming back in 2017.

Santos Laguna vs Cruz Azul Head-to-Head Stats

Santos Reliable on Home Turf

Santos Laguna hopes to extend their recent stellar play on home turf in Thursday night’s contest. The club is undefeated in their past five home dates, outscoring opponents by a wide 13-2 margin over that stretch. Indeed, the Verdiblancos proved to be one of the most reliable bets of the Clausura regular season when playing at home, racking up a 7-2-1 while averaging two goals per match.

Club Santos Laguna played at home for the 1st leg of the Quarterfinals vs. @Rayados. Santos won 2-1!

🇪🇨 Ayrton Preciado #32 scored the game winning goal & played 77 minutes.
🇪🇨 Felix Torres #5 played the 90 minutes. pic.twitter.com/nVAAjdSEwr

— Warriors of Ecuador (@EcuadorHeroes) May 14, 2021

That dominance has extended into the current postseason, with Santos Laguna paving their road to the Clausura final decisive wins at home over both Monterrey and Puebla in the quarters and semifinals.

Aguirre Filling the Net at Home

Eduardo Aguirre has been the force powering the Verdiblancos attack so far in the postseason. The talented 22-year-old tallied a pair of goals in the club’s 3-0 rout of Publa in the first leg of their semifinal matchup, and has now scored seven total goals over his past five home appearances.

¡La joya del "Mudo"!

Repasamos aquí el segundo gol de @ClubSantos en la eliminatoria ante la Franja. @CITEC_Futbol hace la #ReconstrucciónDelGol que selló el doblete de Eduardo Aguirre en la Ida.#FutbolEnTusManos 📱@Telcel ⚽ #LigaBBVAMX pic.twitter.com/MzFBHXXGUR

— Liga BBVA MX (@LigaBBVAMX) May 25, 2021

Considering Santos Laguna’s recent shaky performance on the road, where they have recorded just one win in 11 overall outings, the club will be aiming to make a statement in Thursday’s contest. Fast starts have been key to Santos Laguna’s recent success at home, with the club opening the scoring in the first half hour in three of their past five matches. Look for more of the same on Thursday, as Santos draw first blood in this year’s final, in a low-scoring contest.

The Picks: Santos Laguna +138; UNDER 2.5 (-177)