Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia Prediction: Goals on the cards in Group H humdinger

Cape Verde could make unlikely history on Friday night, with a draw against Saudi Arabia in Houston potentially enough to take them to the knockout stage of the World Cup (7pm local, 1am Saturday GMT, live on ITV4).

The Creoles have already earned draws against Spain and Uruguay, and one more positive result will secure third spot in Group H at the very least. Here are my Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia predictions, the latest team news and Betfred’s match odds.

Team News

Cape Verde boss Bubista will be left sweating on the potential availability of Telmo Arcanjo, who picked up a knock against Uruguay, and Jovane Cabral.

His side are definitely without Sidny Lopes Cabral, whose second yellow card in successive games sparked a one-game suspension.

Giorgios Donis has a full Saudi Arabia squad to choose from. He could call upon Abu Al-Shamat and Mohamed Kanno for starts after the 4-0 reverse to Spain on matchday two.

Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia Odds

Who would ever have thought that Cape Verde would be favourites for a World Cup finals fixture? That’s the reality of the match at the NRG Stadium, with the Creoles 6/4 for a first victory at the tournament.

Saudi Arabia are 9/5 to win, with a third straight draw for Cape Verde slated as a 12/5 bet.

Over 2.5 Total Goals @ EVENS 

This should be a hugely intriguing game given the fact these sides have struggled for possession against their more high-profile opponents to this point.

Cape Verde’s thrilling 2-2 draw against Uruguay arguably told us more about them than did their heroic scoreless tie with Spain. Their ability to hit the South Americans with regularity on the ball spoke volumes about their adventurousness.

And I think that bodes well for the Creoles, who should have what it takes to get at least the point they need to progress.

Either way, this should be a game full of goals, especially considering the leakiness of Saudi Arabia’s backline against Spain.

*Click here for the latest World Cup Odds

Ryan Mendes 2+ Shots on Target (Sub Switch) @ 18/5

Cape Verde sent in 12 shots at Uruguay’s goal on matchday two, and Ryan Mendes continued to display his threat in the opposition’s territory.

I’m backing the Creoles’ skipper to make Mohammed Al-Owais work at least twice, with the 18/5 price implying a 21.7% probability.

With Betfred's new 'Sub Switch' feature, if your player gets substituted at any point in the match, your selection is switched to the next player!