Santos Laguna vs Atlas Odds: Both Teams Looking for Their Second Win

• Santos Laguna lost their opening fixture against Queretaro FC but bounced back in the last game against Club Puebla with a 3-2 win
• Atlas won their opening fixture against Cruz Azul but suffered a narrow 1-0 loss against CF Monterrey this past weekend
• When the two sides met in the previous Clausura season, the game ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw

Santos Laguna vs Atlas Odds

Odds taken from BetMGM, sign up to get $1000 bet credits.

Santos Laguna vs Atlas Pick

• Pick: Santos Laguna to win.

Santos Laguna vs Atlas Predictions

Struggling through the Clausura season, Santos Laguna somehow reached the playoffs and reached the quarterfinals before CF Monterrey eliminated them. In the Round of 16, they were pitted against 2022-23 Apertura champions Pachuca. After a thrilling 4-4 draw in regular time, Santos Laguna emerged victorious on penalties. In the home leg against CF Monterrey in the next round, they managed a goalless draw at home but lost 2-0 in the away leg.

Atlas also made it to the playoffs and also saw their journey end at the quarterfinals stage. In the Round of 16, they scraped past Cruz Azul with a 1-0 win to set up a Last-8 encounter with Chivas Guadalajara. The fixture got off to a positive start as Atlas won the home leg 1-0 but could not hold on and lost the away leg by the same margin. Since Chivas’ league rank was better, they advanced to the next stage, and Atlas were eliminated.

In the new Apertura season, both clubs have won one and lost one of the two games played so far this season. Neither side has stamped their authority two games into the new Apertura season, so it will be a tad difficult to predict the winner. However, Santos Laguna have the home advantage, which they could not capitalize on in the opening fixture. That could drive them to victory in this match.

Previous Meetings

The two clubs have clashed 28 times in Liga MX. Santos Laguna have the better record with 12 wins, while Atlas have won seven. Nine games between the teams have ended in draws. This includes the 2-2 draw that took place in the previous Clausura season.

Three of the last five encounters between these two sides have ended in stalemates. Both clubs have each won one of the remaining two games. The tricky part of Atlas is playing at the Estadio Nuevo Corona because they have only won there four times in 14 attempts.

In their last five attempts, Atlas have failed to beat Santos Laguna in their own backyard. The hosts won thrice, while two games ended in draws. Atlas’ last win at the Estadio Nuevo Corona came almost six years ago during the Apertura season in 2017.

Atlas may be weak at the venue, but Santos Laguna have also struggled there on multiple occasions. Of the 14 matches against Atlas at home,  Santos Laguna have only won six encounters. The next game will be the perfect stage to better that record.

Santos Laguna Aiming for a Better Finish in the League 

Santos Laguna were extremely lucky to sneak into the playoffs in the Clausura campaign. However, they could not make the most of it, and their performance perfectly summarised the disappointing season they had endured.

In the previous Apertura campaign, Santos Laguna were superb and secured a third-place finish in the regular season, finishing just five points behind league-leaders Club America and two points off second-placed CF Monterrey.

After earning 33 points from 17 games in the Apertura phase, Santos Laguna finished the Clausura season with only 19 points from the same number of games. This is something the club will want to improve drastically this season.

Hosts Yet to Open Their Account at Home This Season 

In the last Apertura season, Santos Laguna were rampant at home as they won eight and drew one of nine home games during the regular league phase. That form dipped in the last Clausura season as they won just three out of eight games at home, losing four and drawing one.

This season, the club is off to a poor start again and lost their opening game against Queretaro FC in their own backyard. To make things worse, the hosts were not even able to score and ended up firing a blank - a disappointment they will be eager to rectify in the game against Atlas.

Instant Impact From New Signings 

Duvan Vergara has joined Santos Laguna on loan from CF Monterrey, while Juan Brunetta has been signed permanently from Godoy Cruz after a successful loan spell with the club during the Clausura season. Both players made an impact in the previous match. Vergara assisted the first goal, while Brunetta scored the winner.

Apart from that, Santos Laguna have also acquired the services of defensive midfielder Pedro Aquino from Club America. However, the Peruvian is yet to make his first start and has only come on as a substitute in the last two games.

Atlas Will Be Eager to Become Title Contenders Again

The new season has just begun, but title contenders will need to gain all the momentum they need from the beginning. There are just 17 games to be played before the playoffs, so that leaves little to no room for error for every side that is aiming for the knockouts.

Atlas won their second and third Liga MX titles at the end of the 2021-22 Apertura and Clausura seasons. They were excellent in the regular league phase and a force to reckon with in the playoffs. However, the title defense did not go according to plan last season.

In the previous Apertura campaign, Atlas finished second from the bottom with just three wins in 17 games. In the Clausura season, there was a marked improvement in form, but it could only lift them up to ninth place. With other contenders struggling, this could be the perfect season for Atlas to bounce back.

Performing Better in the Second Half 

In the game against Cruz Azul, Atlas faced a total of nine shots and managed to attempt seven themselves, despite leading at the break. In the second half, the visitors only attempted a single shot while the hosts fired eight.

In the second game against CF Monterrey, Atlas attempted 17 shots, out of which 12 came in the second half – a period during which the hosts only fired four shots. It will be interesting to see if Atlas can maintain this pattern against Santos Laguna.

Replacing Talisman Will Be the Toughest Task

Atlas struggled last season, but goals from Julian Quinones provided some respite. The striker netted 13 goals for the club and helped them reach the playoffs. This season, the Colombian has joined Club America leaving a huge void in Atlas’ attack.

All eyes are on Eduardo Aguirre, who has been brought in on loan from their next opponent Santos Laguna. The striker got off the mark in the opening game of the season but could not make an impact in the last game.

How to Watch Santos Laguna vs Atlas

• Teams: Santos Laguna vs Atlas
• Location: Estadio Nuevo Corona
• Time: Thursday, July 13 at 9:05 pm ET
• How to watch: Univision networks TUDN and UniMas, ESPN Deportes, Telemundo and Fox Deportes