Picks and Predictions for Liga MX Round 1 (Apertura 2022) – July 1-4

The 2022-23 Liga MX season kicks off on Friday, July 1. The Apertura 2022 campaign begins with a jam-packed schedule, as all 18 teams return to action in the coming days.

Atlas heads into the new season as the defending champion, having won both the Apertura and Clausura title last term. However, Los Zorros face a tricky test against Club America this weekend.

Read on to find my Liga MX predictions and picks for Round 1. If you want to wager on the title winner, I recommend checking out my Liga MX 2022 Apertura betting preview below.

Odds and Betting Preview for the 2022 Liga MX Apertura

Following a short offseason, Liga MX is set to return on Friday, July 1. As Mexico’s top-flight soccer league gears up for the 2022-23 season, it’s time for bettors to inspect the 2022 Liga MX Apertura odds. Atlas dominated the previous campaign,...

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According to the Liga MX odds at Betway, only one team – Monterrey – is favored to register a road victory in Round 1. Even so, Monterrey is the narrow favorite to beat Santos Laguna.

Guadalajara, Tigres UANL, Club America, Pumas UNAM, and Pachuca are all priced below 2.00 to get the better of their respective opponents. Necaxa, Mazatlan, and Atletico San Luis are also favored to triumph on home soil.

Here are my Liga MX predictions for Round 1 of the Apertura 2022 season. Below, I cover three standout matchups in detail before going over the rest of my Round 1 Liga MX predictions.

To say that Jaurez endured a bad Clausura 2022 campaign would be a colossal understatement.

Los Bravos lost 12 of their 17 games last term, picking up just three wins and two draws along the way. As a result, they finished rock bottom of the Clausura 2022 standings – six points adrift of the rest.

Meanwhile, Guadalajara finished sixth – 15 points clear of Juarez. Although Las Chivas fell in the quarter-finals, they pushed Atlas all the way and ended the campaign on a high note.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that I’m backing Guadalajara to dispatch Juarez on Saturday.

Few would argue that Club America was not the strongest team during the second half of the previous campaign. Indeed, the Eagles ended the regular season on an eight-game unbeaten streak – securing six straight wins in the process.

Fernando Ortiz’s men conceded a solitary goal across their final eight regular-season outings before reaching the semi-finals. However, Pachuca overcame America in the last four.

The Eagles dominated the Apertura 2021, too, finishing six points clear of Atlas. Los Zorros rose to the occasion of the play-offs, but America was the stronger team throughout the regular season.

Call me crazy, but I’m betting against the defending champions in Round 1. The Eagles were immense last term, so I’m backing them to soar to victory this weekend.

Pachuca finished atop the Clausura 2022 standings. Meanwhile, Queretaro finished third from bottom – 21 points behind Pachuca. That tells you everything you need to know about the gulf between these two sides.

By contrast, Los Gallos Blancos won just three of their 17 Clausura clashes – registering eight draws and six defeats. No team picked up fewer victories than Queretaro last term.

If the Clausura 2022 standings are anything to go by, Pachuca should make light work of Queretaro.

I’m backing Necaxa, Tigres UANL, and Pumas UNAM to win on home soil in Round 1. Meanwhile, I expect Puebla and Monterrey to wrap up road victories this weekend.

Elsewhere, I can see Atletico San Luis vs. Club Leon ending in a draw. Atletico and Leon finished just two points apart last season, so they should play out a close-fought battle on Sunday.

In the previous season, games involving Deportivo Toluca averaged 3.4 goals. Since Toluca conceded a whopping 36 goals in 17 outings last term, their clash with Necaxa is destined to be a high-scoring affair.

Only last-place Juarez suffered more defeats than Mazatlan during the Clausura 2022. For that reason, I’m backing Puebla to get the better of Mazatlan this weekend.

I’m also backing Tigres UANL to beat Cruz Azul. The Tigers won ten of their 17 Clausura 2022 clashes, achieving the joint-best offensive record in the process. Cruz Azul finished eight points behind after scoring ten goals fewer.