A very interesting encounter is scheduled for Nov 30 at 15:00 GMT at the Seaview Stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The local Crusaders will host the Dungannon Swifts. And the circumstances between the two sides could not be more different. That being said, it is a quite fluid situation that can change quite rapidly.
A battle of the 4ths
Typically, this is a euphemism as the visitors are indeed 4th from the top, while the home team lies 4th from the bottom. However, there are only 3 points separating them. Dungannon have 26 while the Crusaders have 23. The away team have scored 23 and conceded 21 and count 8 wins, 2 draws, 7 losses. The numbers for the Crusaders are 18, 17, 7 – 2 – 6 respectively. The major aspect here is that the club from Belfast have played 2 less matches than their opponents.
Effectively, this means that by winning, the home side will overtake their opponents and still have two matches to capitalize on the success and rise up the ladder, maybe all the way to 3rd and possibly the 2nd step of the table. That comes as a sincere consideration if the fact that Ballymena (currently on 3rd) have lost 4 out of their last 5.
The prices for Crusaders vs Dungannon Swifts
Understandably, a lot will depend on the in-between matches that both sides have to play and can change the conditions drastically. The Crusaders travel to Coleraine FC for a quite dangerous confrontation, while Dungannon will visit the Carrick Rangers who defeated the team from Belfast by an emphatic 3-0 last week. Difficult encounters that can seriously affect the aspirations for both.
Hence, the offers of @2.960 for the hosts and @2.553 for the Swifts will probably not stand. Not just because of what will happen during this weekend. Negating the home field advantage doesn’t feel right and it is most probable that the bookmakers will reconsider their offers. It’s also most likely that the prices for other markets that are now revolving around @2.00, will also change.
In any case, there’s still a week before we come back to the discussion for this match. At that time, we will definitely examine every detail before we make our final recommendation.
Update
After their victory away at Carrick Rangers by 1-0, the visitors moved up to the 3rd place at the standings, 1 point behind 2nd place Cliftonville and 6 to Linfield and the top. Similarly, the hosts won also at an away match at Coleraine FC by 2-1 and moved up to 7th. The situation now says that for them there is only one result to go for. Win and cover the 3-point gap to their opponents.
Sharp change in the odds for Crusaders vs Dungannon Swifts
The previous @2.960 no longer exists. Now, the win for the Crusaders is rewarded with a price of @1.780. On the other hand, the victory for the Swifts has moved from @2.553 to an unreasonable @3.530. The only market that pays decently is the under 2.5 goals, which gets a reasonable @1.982. However, it is a risk. If the numbers for both sides are to be closely checked, it is just as easy for 2 goals to be scored as it is for 3. Which makes it a 50-50 chance for a successful bet.
This match makes for an interesting conundrum. Go for an outcome with a greater chance of success and get a lower paycheck, or risk a little to glean something more. We think that this one deserves the risk so we will go with the market of under 2.5. If you agree with us, then it’s time to open an account at the best betting platform and stake some money to it.