Rio Ave arrive in better shape, with three wins and a draw from their last four league games and only one defeat in their last six. They have also scored in three straight wins, including a 2-1 away success at Estoril Praia on 22 March, while the recent home draw with Famalicão ended 0-0. That is a decent base for an in-play BTTS angle, though their home scoring record is not overwhelming.
FC Alverca are harder to trust at the back. They have not kept a clean sheet in this fixture’s recent meeting, drew 1-1 with Rio Ave in November 2025, and have gone nine league matches without a win. Their last six league games brought five draws and a heavy 1-4 home defeat to Sporting CP, so they are usually staying competitive enough to contribute a goal but rarely enough to take control.
The goal patterns also lean toward both sides finding the net rather than a one-sided shutout. Rio Ave’s home figures show 13 goals scored and 21 conceded in 13 league matches, while Alverca’s away record includes 15 scored and 25 conceded in 13 outings. The xG line is fairly balanced too, with Rio Ave projected at 1.3 and Alverca at 1.1, which points to a tight contest rather than a clean sheet for either team.
The only slight tension is Rio Ave’s 0-0 against Famalicão, but that has been offset by matches such as the 2-1 win at Estoril and the 2-1 home victory over Estrela Amadora. Alverca have also been involved in repeated score draws, including 2-2 at Gil Vicente and three separate 1-1s before the Sporting loss. With both defences conceding regularly, a 1-1 type game looks more plausible than either side blanking.
My prediction is Both Teams To Score at 4/5. Rio Ave have scored in three of their last four league matches, Alverca have gone nine without a win but still found goals in several recent draws, and the away side have gone three straight meetings with Rio Ave without keeping a clean sheet. Add in the 1.3 to 1.1 xG split and both teams’ leaky seasonal defensive records, and this market has the right profile.
