Football Bet of the Day: Lions won't escape the Azores unharmed

Santa Clara v Sporting Lisbon
Monday 19:00

In Italy yesterday, Roma went 0-1 down at home to SPAL before roaring back with three second-half goals to land Kev's handicap bet. As he splashes around the Fontana Di Trevi, we're taking the reins here for a festive-special double shift.

We begin with a game from the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Fourth-placed Sporting Lisbon must jump on a plane to the Azores for tonight's match at 15th-placed Santa Clara. The visitors won this fixture 2-1 last season and will start this one as favourites, but it's BTTS at almost even money that's caught our attention.

Silas's Sporting have lost their last two road matches and are now W3-D2-L2 this term. They've conceded in six of those seven games and, going back to the start of last season, the Lions have conceded at least once in 21/24.

Joao Henriques's hosts are W2-D2-L3 at Estadio de Sao Miguel this season. They have scored in all of the most recent five of those matches, including a visit from top-of-the-table Benfica. Since Henriques took the reins, the Azoreans have struck at least once in 18/24 home appearances and we fancy they can help land BTTS this evening.