The 2023/24 Liga Portugal season kicked off in August 2023. As expected, it’s been a roller coaster of matches and performances since the first match day. With 14 games played so far, the question of who are the favourites to win the Portuguese football championship is gaining more weight.
Many new sports betting sites recommended by siticasinononaams.com are updating winner odds to determine the favourites, and these lines tell you a lot. The betting odds favour the current four top teams – Sporting CP, SL Benfica, FC Porto and SC Braga. But what are the chances for these teams? To find out, read on as we analyse how the favourites are rated regarding forecasts and coefficients from bookmakers.
Sporting Clube de Portugal
The famous Lisbon team have begun the season strongly, falling short in just two games (narrow defeats at Benfica and Vitória). Sporting sit top on the table, a point clear of reigning champions Benfica. Portuguese experts are lining up to say the white and greens have a good shot at lifting the trophy.
Sporting lifted the trophy in 2021 under current coach Rúben Amorim, but it was the first time they had been champions since 2002. That was a 19-year drought.
Notably, despite not winning the league many times recently Sporting CP has often secured Champions League soccer. The team failed to qualify for the UCL last season, although arguably that actually was advantageous as they did not have to face such tough European competition in the first third of the season. They went into the Europa League instead.
Things promise to be more favourable this year. Betting sites assign around 3.25 odds for the team to lift the trophy at the end of the season. It’s not the lowest, but it shows Sporting has a fair chance.
Viktor Gyökeres stands at the forefront, helping Sporting maintain their position on the table. The number nine is currently second in the league’s top-scoring table, and it’s possible he could snatch the golden boot after the final matchday. It’s worth noting that SCP is behind only SC Braga for total goals scored, and also has one of the best defences in the league.
SL Benfica
The winners last time round, Benfica, are en route to retaining their title, according to the predictions of bookmakers. On average, the odds for the team to win is at 2.65, the lowest among all the contenders. Benfica is in second place in the table now, although only a single point behind their Lisbon neighbours Sporting.
When Benfica lifted the trophy in 2022/23 edition, it was also by a narrow margin. The team finished with 87 points, just two points above Porto’s 85. Porto also poses a threat this time, as the team maintains a tight point difference from the number one spot.
Nevertheless, despite the low odds from new sports betting sites, Benfica remains a favourite. The team has arguably just as strong a squad as last season, with the arrival of World Cup winner Ángel Di María and Turkish star Orkun Kökçü offsetting the loss of left-back Grimaldo and striker Gonçalo Ramos. Benfica have lost only one league game this season – fewer than any other team.
While Benfica appears strong locally, the story differs internationally. In the Champions League, the team failed to qualify out of the group stages. Benfica finished third in the table, behind Inter Milan and Real Sociedad, winning only won one game, drawing one and losing four. They’ll face FC Toulouse from France in the playoffs for a place in the UEFA Europa League round of 16.
If Benfica maintains its domestic form, the Eagles have and excellent chance of retaining the title. Roger Schmidt’s men are currently second, it’s true, but with 20 games left, the season still has a long way to go.
FC Porto
FC Porto is always in the mix when discussing possible winners of the Liga Portugal. The narrative remains the same for the 2023/24 season. Indeed, the team does have a good shot at lifting the trophy. This will be especially true if coach Sérigo Conceição can get more from the newly arrived players like Nico González from FC Barcelona and Iván Jaime from Famalicão.
The winner’s odds for Porto to finish in the top position are around 2.75, according to the predictions of betting sites. It’s the second lowest after the odds for Benfica. So far, Porto have shown inconsistency, losing three games out of 14, which is more than they would normally expect at this stage of the season.
Porto are not a high-scoring team. No player from the club has a spot on the top scorers list. Despite injury problems in the back line the team does have a good defence though, conceding only 11 goals since the start of the season. Only Benfica have a stingier defence (10 goals conceded).
Internationally, the club is also performing at a far more impressive rate. Porto is the only team from Liga Portugal to qualify for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League. They finished second in Group H, with Barcelona only finishing ahead of them due to H2H advantage. Both teams won four games and drew two.
With the favourable odds, Porto may be in line to stop the Lisbon pair from lifting the trophy. The team missed out last year by two points and were winners in the 2201/22 season.
SC Braga
As ever, SC Braga is the outsider when it comes to predicting the winner at the end of the season. This should be no surprise in a competition dominated by the traditional “Big Three”. Only twice in the entire history of Portuguese football has a team outside the Big Three become champions.
But SC Braga are constantly improving and becoming a big player in the Liga Portugal and this season competed commendably in the UEFA Champions League. Last season, Braga set new club records for number of victories and points won in a season, finishing four points above Sporting in third place.
SC Braga currently occupies fourth spot. However, the difference from the top is just five points after 14 games, and Braga have by far the most productive attack, scoring 36 goals so far which is 6 more than Sporting, 11 more than Benfica and 15 more than Porto. Little surprise, therefore, that the club’s striker, Simon Banza, is currently the league’s top scorer with 13 goals.
Nevertheless, the current impressive run doesn’t sway the predictions of bookmakers. SC Braga has the highest odds of winning the Portuguese League at around 22.00 on average. There’s a chance for bettors here, all the same. It’s difficult not to make a bet on such high odds. If Braga decides to make history after matchday 34, the winnings will be substantial.
Final thoughts
The question of who will win the Portuguese Championship in 2024 has four possible answers. Most new sports betting sites favour Benfica by issuing the team the lowest odds. However, Porto or Sporting can also crash the current holder’s party, with Braga having an outside chance of ending up winners. It promises to be a fascinating race to be crowned Primeira Liga Champions after matchday 34.
