Monterrey open Liga MX’s Apertura 2026 against Santos Laguna on Saturday, July 18 at 9:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM CT / 6:00 PM PT, with the Estadio BBVA hosting the first game of a brand-new campaign.
Our Monterrey vs Santos Laguna prediction leans heavily on home advantage. This is a season opener, so there is no live table to read yet; the numbers below are drawn from last season’s final standings, when Monterrey finished 13th and Santos ended the Clausura in 18th. Both clubs come into the new Apertura looking to bury a disappointing spring rather than build on it.
bet365 make Monterrey clear favorites at -217 to win, with Santos Laguna out at +450 and the draw priced at +320. That is a wide gap for two sides that met on the final day in April, when Santos won 3-0, but the venue swings it: this one is at the Estadio BBVA, not the Estadio Corona.
Monterrey vs Santos Laguna: Best Bets & Predictions
A season opener with a heavy favorite: the market backs Monterrey at home and expects goals, so our card leans into the win, the over and both teams scoring.
Our approach: Start with Monterrey to win, add the over for a stronger single, then treat both teams to score and the 2-1 as the small-stakes leg with more upside.
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Season Form & Standings
With Apertura 2026 yet to kick off, the only table worth reading is the one both teams just left. The Tabla General below shows where each side finished the Clausura 2026 regular phase last season, not a live standing. It is not flattering reading for either: Monterrey took 18 points from 17 games and Santos managed 12, the lowest tally in the division. You can track the new campaign on the live Liga MX standings once results land.
| Team | Pos | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterrey | 13 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 24 | -2 | 18 |
| Santos Laguna | 18 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 38 | -18 | 12 |
The gap in the goals-against column tells the story: Monterrey conceded 24, Santos 38. A fresh season resets the points, but it does not reset the squads, and Santos still carry the weaker back line into the opener.
Potential Match-Winners
- Sergio Canales (Monterrey): The Spaniard remains the side’s creative pulse, contributing three goals and two assists last season while landing 15 shots on target from midfield. He sets the tempo when Monterrey control a game.
- Lucas Di Yorio (Santos Laguna): Santos’ clear focal point, with six goals and a team-high 22 shots on target across the Clausura, an output of roughly 0.45 goals per 90. If Santos threaten, it usually runs through him.
- Ezequiel Bullaude (Santos Laguna): The most productive creator in the visiting squad, with five goals and four assists last season, giving Santos a second scoring outlet behind Di Yorio.
- Jesús Corona (Monterrey): Still a live threat off the flank at 33, the winger chipped in three goals and an assist and stretches defenses that sit deep. See how the scoring race shapes up on the Liga MX top scorers page.
Recent Form
Monterrey: L D L W L
- Apr 26, 2026: Santos Laguna 3-0 Monterrey (L, away)
- Apr 21, 2026: Monterrey 2-1 Puebla (W, home)
- Apr 18, 2026: Monterrey 1-3 Pachuca (L, home)
- Apr 11, 2026: Atlas 0-0 Monterrey (D, away)
- Apr 4, 2026: Monterrey 1-2 Atlético San Luis (L, home)
Monterrey limped out of last season and have conceded in each of their last three, the last shut-out coming in a goalless draw at Atlas on April 11. The 3-0 loss at Santos on the final day is the freshest memory between these two, and a pointed one.
Santos Laguna: D L L L W
- Apr 26, 2026: Santos Laguna 3-0 Monterrey (W, home)
- Apr 22, 2026: Atlético San Luis 2-0 Santos Laguna (L, away)
- Apr 19, 2026: Santos Laguna 0-1 Atlas (L, home)
- Apr 11, 2026: Pachuca 4-2 Santos Laguna (L, away)
- Apr 4, 2026: Santos Laguna 1-1 Club América (D, home)
Santos ended a grim campaign on a high, thumping Monterrey 3-0 at home on the final day. That result aside, the spring was hard going, and doing it again away from the Estadio Corona is a different task.
Monterrey vs Santos Laguna Prediction
Home advantage and the run of play point one way. Santos’ win in April was real, but it came at their place against a Monterrey side already checked out; the return of competitive stakes and a home crowd should tilt this back. We land on a Monterrey win in a game with goals, and back Monterrey to win at -217 with bet365, kicking off Saturday, July 18 at 9:00 PM ET at the Estadio BBVA. For the rest of the opening slate, see the full Liga MX schedule, and weigh it against our wider soccer predictions. New to the book? Our bet365 review covers the sign-up.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
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