Flamengo v Criciuma SC

Flamengo vs Criciuma Preview

Third placed Flamengo missed an opportunity to take over at the top of the Brazilian Serie A table last weekend when they were dealt a disappointing 2-1 loss at home to Fortaleza, while Criciuma slipped to a second defeat in three games overall in Serie A when they suffered a 2-1 defeat on the road at Corinthians which also extended their winless run in the domestic top flight to three games.

Despite their defeat last time out though, Flamengo are still in the frame for a possible tilt at top spot in the Serie A table as they trail the top two teams, Botafogo and Palmeiras, by just a two-point margin heading into this weekend's fixtures.

Having lost just twice in their last 12 games overall in the domestic top flight which were against Juventude and Fortaleza, but also picking up seven wins in the process, the hosts will still fancy their chances of returning to winning ways here at the Maracanã especially as they have collected six wins in their last nine home games.

The bigger picture shows Flamengo have lost just five out of their last 25 home games at the Maracanã and this sort of solid form that the hosts possess should stand Tite's side in good stead as they look to grab the all-important three points here.

Criciuma's winless run in the Brazilian Serie A was extended to three games when they were handed a 2-1 loss away from home at Corinthians which followed a previous defeat on their travels which saw Claudio Tencati's side slip to an earlier 2-1 loss on the road at Vitoria.

In between these two recent losses, Criciuma picked up a point by virtue of a 1-1 draw at home with Fluminense but the bigger picture suggests this could be a tricky outing for the visitors at the Maracanã as Criciuma have managed to capture just three wins in their last 12 matches overall.

Victories gained over Atletico GO, Botafogo and Cruzeiro, the latter two wins being achieved on home soil, have been offset by being handed six defeats within this period as well with four of these six losses being inflicted upon Claudio Tencati's side on their travels.

Losses on the road at Athletico PR, Sao Paulo, Vitoria and Corinthians certainly do not bode well for the visitors especially as their form away from home has been simply woeful for quiet some time now; indeed, Criciuma have managed to capture just two wins in their last 27 outings on the road, while also failing to score in 12 of these 27 away games.

Flamengo v Criciuma Verdict

Flamengo are unbeaten in their last seven meetings against Criciuma and considering the visitors' poor results on the road, a win to nil for the hosts looks to be on the cards in this one.

Therefore, our main bet will be BTTS No @ 1.57

Other side bets worth considering:

Flamengo win & BTTS No @ 2.37

Correct Score: Flamengo 1-0 @ 7.00