PSL Saturday Betting Guide & Double at 4.00

With history and statistics behind the decision, OptaJabu and Bet Central have crafted a ready-made PSL Double at over 4.30 for you.

15:30 – Cape Town City v Orlando Pirates

Cape Town City host Orlando Pirates in the league on Saturday afternoon. Never in their short history have City lost a home match to Orlando Pirates, with three wins and two draws in five matches since 2016. Even in that short history, the fixture already has a few famous tales, from a 2-2 draw that effectively denied Pirates the 2018/19 title to the 6-goal thriller at the start of last season. Add a couple of red cards in the last two fixtures, including one in the recent Cup quarter-final win for Pirates, and an interesting rivalry starts to emerge.

PSL 2020/21 Trends

Cape Town City host Orlando Pirates in the league on Saturday afternoon. Never in their short history have City lost a home match to Orlando Pirates, with three wins and two draws in five matches since 2016. Even in that short history, the fixture already has a few famous tales, from a 2-2 draw that effectively denied Pirates the 2018/19 title to the 6-goal thriller at the start of last season. Add a couple of red cards in the last two fixtures, including one in the recent Cup quarter-final win for Pirates, and an interesting rivalry starts to emerge.

Cape Town City will be playing their home match in Stellenbosch. They should still enjoy the advantage of less travel and familiar conditions, geographically at least. Their home form has been the pillar upon which they have built 2020 performances, and they have won more points already in 2020 than they did in 2018 and 2019, having played less games.

0 – No side has won more games (8) and more points (26) in home matches than City since the start of 2020.

This fixture is also laden with goals, with 15 goals scored between both sides in the last two seasons. There has been at least one goal scored in every game they have played since the first one ended 0-0 in 2016. At the same time, six goals in five games is the best goals return for a Pirates side at this stage of a season in four seasons. Yet, they have scored more than one non-penalty goal just once in 17 league games.

3 – Cape Town City are one of only three sides that have not seen a goalless draw in the last year, with their last blank game coming on November 30 2019.

Pirates defence is now synonymous with not conceding, and Zinnbauer’s men have kept five clean sheets in their last seven away games. Of the two goals conceded, one of them also came against Cape Town City.

1 – Since Josef Zinnbauer’s first game in charge, only one side (Wits in the Nedbank Cup) has managed to score more than once in a match against Pirates (Played 25).

We’ve touched on City’s home form already, and one thing that has been consistent this year is the fact that they tend to score first in home games. Before the Sundowns game, City had scored first in nine successive home games. The Downs defeat is the only anomaly, and normal service was resumed when they scored first in the last home game again.

20:15 – Maritzburg United v Mamelodi Sundowns

It’s top versus bottom when Maritzburg hosts Sundowns on Saturday evening, looking to bring to an end a horrible run of form. Maritzburg are on a run of eight successive losses in all competitions, their worst run as a PSL side in the top-flight.

5 – Indeed, Maritzburg are only the third PSL era side to lose five out of five opening league games, after Polokwane City (2013/14) and Umtata Bush Bucks (1999/2000). No PSL side has ever lost six out of six opening games. Can they end their horrible run?

Their form has already seen Eric Tinkler shown the exit door, with Ernst Middendorp called in to save what looks like a sinking ship. After painfully losing the title to Sundowns last season, the German will be looking for immediate revenge, albeit with a different side. But this is probably the last fixture he wanted to open with:

11 – Since 2006/7, Ernst Middendorp has lost more matches to Sundowns than he has against any other South African team (11).

The majority of this Sundowns side has actually never tasted defeat to Maritzburg. Only Dennis Onyango, Hlompo Kekana and Tebogo Langerman played the last time Maritzburg beat Sundowns in the league (September 2012). Downs’ scoring record since that game echoes their superiority here.

1 – Sundowns have failed to score in just one of the last 15 games against Maritzburg since then.

13 points from their five season opening league games is Sundown’s joint best start to a PSL season (13 also in 1999/00 and 2000/01). A win against Maritzburg would result in 16 points from 18, something they have done only once before. Daniel Mudau and Roger Feutmba were the goalscorers back then, while Themba Zwane, Kermit Erasmus & Peter Shalulile are the scorers now.

12 – This is the first time in the 30-game PSL era that Sundowns have scored 12+ goals in their five season opening league games, and only the third in PSL history (12 in 1998/99, 13 in 2000/01)