Sturm Graz v Sporting CP Prediction: Red-hot goalscorers available at 3/1 and 4/1

It's Sturm Graz v Sporting CP on Tuesday, October 22 (20:00), live on TNT Sports 7 as Sporting look to kick on after a promising start to their Champions League campaign and hosts Graz search for their first points of the season in the competition. 

Portugal-based Jamie Pacheco has 3/1 and 4/1 goalscorer selections going here, both in excellent scoring form, and an 8/11 tip on the hosts getting more bookings as he previews the action and gives us his best Sturm Graz vs Sporting CP Predictions...

SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz  

Sturm Graz have made a fine start to the season with seven wins, two defeats and a draw and are top of the table.  

What's particularly impressive are the 22 goals they've scored so far domestically. Not that the Austrian League is the most competitive, with all due respect, but that's impressive, nonetheless. 

However, they're yet to get a point on the board in the Champions League, losing first to Stade Brest away and then losing 1-0 at home to Brugge. Another defeat here and qualification to the next stage will look increasingly difficult.  

At least they come into this match on the back of yet another domestic high scoring win, a 5-2 triumph over GAK 1902.  

And they certainly have a player in fine scoring form; London-born Danish international Mika Biereth has eight for the season including a goal at the weekend and a hat-trick in the match before that. They'll need him to have his shooting boots on here.  

Possible Starting line-up: Scherpen, Wuthrich, Gazibegovic, Aiwu, Johnston, Stankovic, Kiteishvilli, Horvat, Boving, Biereth, Jatta.  

Sporting CP

If Graz have started their domestic season well, that's nothing compared to Sporting, who have won all eight of their matches so far and are on course to defend their title.  

But unlike Graz, they've made a good start to their Champions League campaign too with a 2-0 win over Lille followed by a hard-fought draw against PSV courtesy of a fine strike by the promising Daniel Braganca. That point could end up being very valuable indeed. And it's good to know that when the prolific Viktor Gyokeres doesn't get on the scoresheet, someone else will step up.  

Both scored in the 2-0 win over Casa Pia a couple of weeks ago.  

They also come into this match on the back of a win; they beat Portimonense 2-1 in the Cup on Friday night.  

Possible Starting line-up: Israel, Reis, Debast, Inacio, Santos, Morita, Hjumland, Quenda, Braganca, Gyokeres, Trincao.  

Sturm Graz vs Sporting CP Odds

These two played each other last year in the Europa League with Sporting winning 3-0 at home. Curiously, defender Goncalo Inacio came off the bench at half-time and scored two after, you guessed it, Gyokeres opened the scoring. For good measure, the Swede also scored in a 2-1 win in Austria. Mind you, those were the only time they've ever played each other.  

So, with that in mind, Sporting's strong start to the season both at home and in Europe, it's no surprise they're as short as 4/11 (a 73% chance) to win here despite being away from home. It's 4/1 (20%) the draw and 7/1 (13%) the Graz win. 

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Anytime Goalscorer 

We've already talked about three players as being in excellent goalscoring form. Graz's Biereth has eight for the season already and four in his last two, Gyokeres has 16 in his last 15 matches for club and country and that man Braganca has now netted in each of his last three games.  

As ever, it's all about price. Gyokeres, a real favourite for this columnist, who has rewarded him on more than one occasion for goalscorer bets, is the most likely scorer on the pitch but then again, he's just 4/6, which has to be considered a slightly stingy price, even though his stats make for some pretty good reading.  

When you consider that Biereth is 3/1 and Braganca is 4/1 and you can clearly see that the value doesn't lie with the Swedish striker on this occasion.  

Given this has the makings of a high-scoring match, with over 2.5 goals just 8/15, the sensible option is to split stakes between those two at generous-looking odds.