Palmeiras vs Ponte Preta Prediction: Palmeiras is the favorite to advance to the semi-finals

The Brazilian and São Paulo champion hosts Ponte Preta in the Paulistão quarter-finals, played in a single match. The Verdão will play at home, thanks to the top spot in Group B, while Ponte Preta finished second in the same group. In the Campeonato Paulista, teams from the same group don't play each other in the first round, but the top two from each of the four groups meet in the quarter-finals. 

Palmeiras was the best team in the group stage, even though it didn't shine. With eight wins, four draws, and no defeats, the Verdão is the favorite in this knockout game and also to win the Paulistão. São Paulo started the season very well, winning the Supercopa do Brasil and threatening to interrupt Palmeiras' dominance of recent years. However, the Carpini's side fell off the pace and was almost eliminated in the group stage, while Abel Ferreira's team had no trouble qualifying. The Brazilian media may have been too premature in calling São Paulo the team to beat this season.

The Macaca has been having a great campaign and has deservedly secured a place in the Paulistão top eight, something that Corinthians, for example, failed to do. Victories against the Timão and São Paulo were decisive in Ponte Preta's qualification. Even so, a defeat in the last round against Santo André could have prevented the Campinas side from returning to the quarter-final four years after the last time. Fortunately for the Macaca, Água Santa, which needed to beat Corinthians, was held to a draw. Ponte Preta, currently playing in the Série B, has a Labor of Hercules to contend with and is naturally the underdog against a strong Palmeiras team playing at home.

Palmeiras is the clear favorite in these quarter-finals, and it would be a huge surprise not to qualify. For Ponte Preta to get this far is excellent, but you can't ask for more from this team. Of course, the Macaca fans dream of a win against Palmeiras, but the mission is almost impossible. I'll bet on Palmeiras winning with no more than three goals scored in the game to increase the odds, as a simple bet on the home team victory has small returns.