- Ballymena are the bookies' favourites at 79/100 to Crusaders' 243/100 and the Draw at 3/1.
- Ballymena have failed to win their last 3 trips to Crusaders.
Ballymena are a team with momentum
With 3 points from 1 game, Ballymena United enter the Premiership 2026-2027 campaign as leaders. Crusaders, meanwhile, have yet to record a point. Ballymena United are the favourites with the bookmakers to win this game, but the odds may not quite tell the full story in a game that could go either way.
Oran Kearney has Ballymena set up to be a tough, tight and compact team that always threaten from set-pieces. Success Edogun, who is very capable of finding the space to make those set-pieces count, has been Ballymena's main man of late, scoring 5 of their 9 goals in the last 5 matches.
Ballymena have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 2 of their last 5 matches across all current competitions, so it hasn't all been smooth sailing since they last met Crusaders. Ballymena's 3-0 win away at Linfield last Saturday was a sharp result, but they had lost at home to Portadown the Saturday before and Crusaders had given them a 3-2 scalp at home a few weeks prior in the Premiership Relegation 2026.
Crusaders will be a threat at Seaview
That result will give Crusaders the edge at Seaview this Saturday in what is usually a very even affair. These sides last met twice and split the points 1-1 over 2 games before Crusaders claimed a 3-2 home win 3 months ago. Since Declan Caddell took over as head coach on 7th May 2024, Crusaders have continued to play fast, direct, transitional football with an emphasis on wide overloads. The visitors will need to be on their toes from the off, as they have been in all their recent games against Crusaders. The hosts have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 1 of their last 5 across all competitions, so it's been a mixed patch, but they've been solid enough at the Seaview, winning 2 and drawing 1 of their last 3 here.
Both teams can find the back of the net
Ballymena have won their only Premiership 2026-2027 away game and kept a clean sheet in the process, so they will arrive at Crusaders with a firm foundation to build from. However, Ballymena have failed to win their last 3 away trips to Seaview, which gives the hosts the edge.
Fraser Bryden has been in great form for Crusaders recently, netting 3 of their 10 goals in the last 5 games. Ballymena can be a little rigid in their set up, so it could be worth a punt on him to make a difference in this match.
The visitors are the favourite to win, but Crusaders have home advantage and have beaten Ballymena here in the not-too-distant past. So, it may be best to take the safer option of Both Teams To Score - Yes at 14/25 and perhaps add Over 2.5 goals at 3/5 into the mix.
