Corinthians vs Botafogo Prediction: Expect a balanced game

This upcoming match in the Brasileirão features 16th-placed Corinthians and fourth-placed Botafogo. The contest should be even despite the distance between the two teams in the table. In the Série A, Corinthians hasn't lost any of its three home games and is always a difficult opponent at the Neo Química Arena. Although the Paulistas don't have the talent of other years, their fervent fans create a hostile atmosphere for the visitors. 

The Paulistas qualified directly for the last 16 of the Copa Sudamericana by beating Racing of Uruguay 3-0 at home. Corinthians overtook the Montevideo team in the standings and finished at the top of the group, thus avoiding a playoff. The Timão dominated the match and scored two great goals. Garro scored a fabulous direct free kick to open the score in the 22nd minute, and Coronado made it 3-0 in the 58th minute after dribbling several opponents. Corinthians won the last three games, all of them at home. António Oliveira's team is confident and looking forward to the game against Botafogo.

The Glorioso drew 0-0 in Barranquilla against Junior and finished second in Group D of the Copa Libertadores. Botafogo finished the group stage with the same points as the Colombians but with a disadvantage in the tiebreaker criteria. The Cariocas managed to qualify despite losing their first two games. Against Junior, coach Artur Jorge used a mixture of regular starters and substitutes given the difficult match with Corinthians. In the Brasileirão, Botafogo is in fourth place, three points behind Athletico Paranaense and Bahia, who have 13 points. The Lone Star team has played four consecutive away matches, all competitions included, and hasn't lost a single one.

Anything can happen in this game with no clear favorite. On the one hand, Corinthians is strong at home with the support of its loyal fans, but on the other, Botafogo has played four straight matches on the road and hasn't lost a single one. Both sides are in good form, so any bet on this game carries some risk. I'm going for a Double Chance on Botafogo, which has attractive odds.