Betting with asian handicap
The Brazilian league resumes after a month-long break, and one of Rio de Janeiro’s big derbies could offer us a betting angle. The match will be played on neutral ground in Brasília, over 1,000 km away from both teams’ home bases.
Vasco da Gama are living up to early expectations, staying on track in the race for a Copa Sudamericana spot and a finish in the top half of the table. They closed out the first part of the season with an impressive 3–1 away win over São Paulo, heading into the break in good spirits. Coach Fernando Diniz had valuable time during the break to work with the squad. Vasco enter the match with high morale, a full squad, and strong motivation given the opponent—everything points toward a good chance of a positive result.
Botafogo, meanwhile, had a rough time with their participation in the Club World Cup and were eliminated in the round of 16 by Palmeiras. That result led to a coaching change, with Davide Ancelotti (Carlo’s son) taking over. He’ll be trying to regain lost ground and push the team closer to the top of the table.
But this is not a squad built to defend last season’s title. It was already weakened, and during the break, they sold two of their best players to Nottingham Forest. Davide Ancelotti doesn’t inspire much confidence—he’s unfamiliar with the team, the league, and until now has only worked as part of his father’s coaching staff.
It’s unclear what he might achieve in the long run, but at this point, his presence alone as a head coach feels like a reason to bet against Botafogo.
