Cliftonville FC vs Ballymena United Prediction & Betting Tips

Stop-start form on both sides

Cliftonville's longer sample shows 10 wins, 9 losses and just a single draw across 20 matches, but that stretches back through last season and pre-season friendlies. Zoom in on this Premiership campaign and it's a genuine seesaw: defeat, defeat, win, win, defeat, defeat, win, win across their last eight competitive outings.

What could your bet return?

1

Cliftonville FC to win

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Odds1.98

Potential return

£39.60

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X

Draw

Your stake£

Odds3.62

Potential return

£72.40

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2

Ballymena United to win

Your stake£

Odds2.96

Potential return

£59.20

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Potential returns include your stake. Odds may change.

Cliftonville FC: 20 completed matches; Ballymena United: 20 completed matches.

Cliftonville FC

20 matches

Win

50% 10 / 20

Draw

0% 0 / 20

Loss

50% 10 / 20

Scored

28

Conceded

30

Difference

-2

Ballymena United

20 matches

Win

40% 8 / 20

Draw

30% 6 / 20

Loss

30% 6 / 20

Scored

42

Conceded

26

Difference

+16

Ballymena's competitive record this term reads one win, three draws and three losses. The win was eye-catching, a 3-0 success away at Linfield, but they've also lost to Glentoran and Coleraine and drawn three of their last four matches, including back-to-back draws with Carrick Rangers and Dungannon Swifts.

Neither team has shown much consistency lately, which makes picking a clear favourite trickier than the table alone suggests.

Comparative Team Statistics: Cliftonville FC vs Ballymena United

Recent meetings have been tight

The last two head-to-heads both finished 2-2, one at each ground, showing these sides have been closely matched over the last year or so. Before that, Cliftonville won 3-2 and thumped Ballymena 5-0, while Ballymena also has a 1-0 win in the mix.

There's a long history here with plenty of goals at times, but the most recent evidence points to an even contest rather than a one-sided affair.

Table gap without a huge quality gap

Cliftonville are fifth with 12 points from eight games, having won four and lost four. Ballymena sit ninth with six points from seven, one win, three draws and three losses. That's a real points gap, but the underlying numbers are closer than the positions suggest, Cliftonville have scored 12 and conceded 10, Ballymena have scored 10 and conceded 11.

This is only a snapshot of these two clubs' standings, not the full division picture, so it shouldn't be read as anything more than where they currently sit relative to each other.

Cliftonville have more points, but the goal difference gap is modest rather than dominant.

How this one could play out

Cliftonville have home advantage and a slightly better league position, but their form has been genuinely erratic, alternating wins and losses rather than building any momentum. Ballymena's habit of drawing games this season, plus the fact that the last two meetings between these two both finished level, hints that a tight, low-margin outcome is a real possibility here.

Ballymena's one big result, that win at Linfield, shows they're capable of an upset on their travels, even if their overall away record isn't strong.