Puebla vs Leon & Santos Laguna vs Tigres Odds & Picks - Liga MX Apertura Quarterfinals Leg 1

• Automatic qualifier Leon is favored over host Puebla at Estadio  Cuauhtemoc at  8:00 PM EST on Thursday
• Santos is surprisingly tipped for a win against mighty Tigres on Thursday at 10:00 PM EST
• See our best bets for Puebla vs Leon & Santos Laguna vs Tigres in the Liga MX Apertura Quarterfinals Leg 1

Mexico’s Liga MX season 2021-22 hits the quarter-final stage with two more games in the knockout stages of the Apertura competition on Thursday. The draw for this match is listed at +210 in the Puebla vs Leon odds.

The two-stage season is split into two separate tournaments – the opening Apertura section before Christmas and the Clausura section in the New Year.

Puebla hosts Leon in the Apertura’s third quarterfinal on Thursday after advancing through the re-classification knockout stage. Leon, meanwhile, is using its automatic place in the last eight after finishing third in the regular-season standings.

Let’s take a look at the Puebla vs Leon odds as we hand out our best bet prediction for the match.

Puebla vs Leon Odds

Odds as of November 25 at DraftKings

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This contest is expected to be a tussle between the attack-minded Leon side and a more cautious, counter-attacking Puebla outfit.

And, indeed, Leon will be boosted by the knowledge that it was a 1-0 winner at Puebla when these sides met in the regular season.

Leon Set For Improvement?

The oddsmakers at DraftKings are surely influenced by the belief that Leon is yet to hit peak form – but could be about to get there.

Therefore, they price Leon as a +150 favorite for the first leg of this tie with Puebla rated at +200.

The draw, meanwhile, is rated at +210 with kick-off at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc in the southern city of Puebla at 8:00 pm ET.

Certainly, the opening leg could be tight, so those odds for the draw look most attractive.

Puebla was beaten in the semi-final of the 2021 Clausura tournament

Leon is the current Apertura champion after a 3-1 aggregate victory over Pumas UNAM in the final of the 2020 edition of the competition last winter.

It also holds the 2021 Leagues Cup – the inter-Liga Mx/MLS competition –  following a 3-2 final win against Seattle Sounders last September.

Puebla, meanwhile, was beaten in the semi-final of the 2021 Clausura tournament – going down 3-1 on aggregate against Santos Laguna.

Certainly, Leon has an impressive array of attacking talent with Chilean midfielder Victor Davila the leading scorer this season with six goals.

Furthermore, forwards Angel Mena and Jean Meneses could also be influential.

Tough and Disciplined Team

Comparatively, Puebla is seen as a tough, disciplined team that finished seventh in the regular-season standings.

It subsequently overcame Guadalajara in the re-classification knockout stage to earn its place in the last eight.

After a 2-2 draw, Puebla won 6-5 in a penalty shoot-out.

@manuc_bwrao thoughts? Is there a dream deep down that Puebla can win Liga MX and then have a shot at Champions League glory?! pic.twitter.com/qKznyFot0q

— Vincent Ferrara (@Juventino_BNA) November 19, 2021

In Liga MX, the top four regular-season finishers go automatically into the quarterfinals.

The eight finishers below them, meanwhile, stage playoffs for four further spots in the last eight.

Uruguayan Christian Tabo has scored five times for Puebla in the competition so far – almost matching Leon’s Davila.

Therefore, in conclusion, a draw could be the outcome of a close-fought first leg.

Pick: Draw +210

Santos Laguna vs Tigres

The powerful Tigres side was the leading scorer in the regular season as it hit 26 goals to claim fourth place and an automatic last-eight spot. Santos, meanwhile, finished in fifth and has advanced via the re-classification stage. Santos Laguna is narrowly favored in the Santos Laguna Tigres odds.

They scored a 2-0 win against Atletico San Luis to accordingly re-kindle hopes it might match its achievement in the 2020-21 Clausura tournament.

Santos Laguna vs Tigres Odds

It was beaten in the final 2-1 on aggregate by Cruz Azul.

However, Tigres is certainly regarded as one of the most powerful outfits in Liga MX after winning the CONCACAF Champions League in 2020.

Close Call Against Bayern Munich

Furthermore, it subsequently progressed to finish as runner-up in FIFA’s Club World Cup, losing narrowly by 1-0 against mighty Bayern Munich.

However, DraftKings makes Santos the +160 favorite for a home victory in this first leg tie with kick-off at 10:00 pm ET.

Tigres is priced at +195 with the draw at +205.

There was a `1-1 draw when these sides met in the regular season last August.

These odds, moreover, may be influenced by the fact that Santos boasts a two-game unbeaten streak against Tigres – winning 2-0 last January.

Conversely, Tigres boasts the Apertura’s joint-leading scorer in Uruguayan Nicolas Lopez, who has hit nine goals.

The leading scorer for Santos is the seven-goal Chilean striker Diego Valdes.

The team also retains its standard-bearing striker Andre-Pierre Gignac although the French veteran has scored only three times in eight appearances in the Apertura so far.

The leading scorer for Santos, furthermore, is the seven-goal Chilean striker Diego Valdes.

Playing a high pressing game, Santos will make it tough for Tigres. But nevertheless, it may have to rely on its outstanding goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo to repel the fire-power of the visitors.

Tigres hasn’t won a national championship since the 2019 Clausura, however. So, in conclusion, its hunger for more success to match its stature should correspondingly see it claim an away victory here.

Pick: Tigres UANL +195