The football game everyone is looking forward to between Botafogo and Cruzeiro will take place on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at 19:00 GMT at the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro. This Serie A Betano Round 18 match is sure to be a tough one, as both sides fight for important points in Brazil’s premier league. However, there is no information on the referee at this time.
Botafogo will want to take advantage of their unbeaten home record, while Cruzeiro will try to use their strong away record to push the hosts. This match is a key point in the 2025 Serie A season. It features two teams that are very good at following their game plans, thus football fans should definitely watch it.
Betting Tips and Match Insights
This section prepares you for a deep dive into the Botafogo vs Cruzeiro prediction today, focusing on recent performances and historical matchups. Botafogo is strong at home, while Cruzeiro is strong on the road. The head-to-head record is considerably in Cruzeiro’s favor, which makes this match more interesting. To figure out what might happen, you need to understand these dynamics. Let’s look at the form and past encounters to help you decide how to bet.
Botafogo Results
Botafogo has been playing well lately, especially at home, where they haven’t lost a game in the 2025 Serie A season. Since the Club World Cup break, the team has turned things around under Davide Ancelotti. They have gone five games without losing. At Estádio Nilton Santos, they are a tough team to beat because they only let in eight goals in the league.
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result | Outcome |
| 30/07/25 | COP | Botafogo RJ vs Bragantino | 2-0 | W |
| 27/07/25 | SA | Botafogo RJ vs Corinthians | 1-1 | D |
| 20/07/25 | SA | Sport Recife vs Botafogo RJ | 0-1 | W |
| 17/07/25 | SA | Botafogo RJ vs Vitoria | 0-0 | D |
| 13/07/25 | SA | Vasco vs Botafogo RJ | 0-2 | W |
Botafogo’s last five games in all competitions show how strong their defense is, as they have kept four clean sheets. At Estádio Nilton Santos, they haven’t lost in 13 games, including ten wins. This is really impressive. The tie with Corinthians and the shutout against Vitoria indicate that they can get results even when things aren’t going their way. But they could be worried that they can’t turn ties into wins against harder teams. The return of important players like Artur and Savarino makes their offense more stronger.
Cruzeiro Results
Even if Cruzeiro’s form has slipped a bit lately, they are still a strong contender in Serie A, where they are now in second place. Their success has been built on their away games, where they have not lost in seven straight. But their current three-game losing skid shows that they have weaknesses that Botafogo might take advantage of.
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result | Outcome |
| 31/07/25 | COP | Cruzeiro vs CRB | 0-0 | D |
| 27/07/25 | SA | Cruzeiro vs Ceara | 1-2 | L |
| 24/07/25 | SA | Corinthians vs Cruzeiro | 0-0 | D |
| 20/07/25 | SA | Cruzeiro vs Juventude | 4-0 | W |
| 18/07/25 | SA | Fluminense vs Cruzeiro | 0-2 | W |
Cruzeiro’s recent record has been a mixed bag, with their home loss to Ceara showing weaknesses in their defense. Their away record, on the other hand, is amazing; they have kept six clean sheets in a row on the road, which shows how disciplined their defense is. The 4-0 win over Juventude shows how dangerous they can be when they are on fire. But they haven’t scored in two of their last three games, which makes people wonder about their consistency. Kaio Jorge’s ability to score goals is still a big plus for them.
Botafogo vs Cruzeiro Head-to-Head Results
The head-to-head record between Botafogo and Cruzeiro is very important for this game. Cruzeiro has been the better team in recent games, winning all 10 of their last matches with Botafogo. This historical edge could have an effect on the future fight.
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result |
| 28/07/24 | SA | Botafogo RJ vs Cruzeiro | 0-3 |
| 14/04/24 | SA | Cruzeiro vs Botafogo RJ | 3-2 |
| 03/12/23 | SA | Botafogo RJ vs Cruzeiro | 0-0 |
| 07/08/23 | SA | Cruzeiro vs Botafogo RJ | 0-0 |
| 13/10/21 | SB | Cruzeiro vs Botafogo RJ | 0-0 |
It’s impressive how well Cruzeiro has done in their last five meetings, winning two and drawing three. Botafogo has had a hard time getting past Cruzeiro’s defense, and they haven’t scored in three of these meetings. The 3-0 and 3-2 wins for Cruzeiro in 2024 show how much better they are at attacking in this match. Botafogo’s home field advantage might help, but this is a tough barrier to break through. It seems like a long time ago that they beat Cruzeiro at home.
Predicted Lineups for Botafogo vs Cruzeiro Football Match
The expected lineups for this football match show how each manager plans to play. Botafogo and Cruzeiro will probably continue to their 4-2-3-1 formations. Taking into account current injuries and player availability, here are the likely starting XIs.
Botafogo Predicted Lineup: John (GK), Vitinho (DF), K. Pantaleão (DF), A. Barboza (DF), A. Telles (DF), M. Freitas (MF), Newton (MF), Artur (MF), J. Savarino (MF), Á. Montoro (MF), A. Cabral (FW)
Cruzeiro Predicted Lineup: Cássio (GK), William (DF), F. Bruno (DF), L. Villalba (DF), Kaiki (DF), L. Romero (MF), L. Silva (MF), Christian (MF), M. Pereira (MF), Wanderson (MF), K. Jorge (FW)
Unavailable Players
Injuries and conditioning problems will affect the lineups of both sides, and missing important players could change the outcome of the game. Here is a list of players that won’t be playing or are not sure if they will be.
| Team | Player | Reason |
| Botafogo | Bastos | Knee Injury |
| Botafogo | Danilo | Lacking Match Fitness |
| Botafogo | Danilo Barbosa | Inactive |
| Botafogo | Jeffinho | Knee Injury |
| Cruzeiro | João Marcelo | Knee Injury |
| Cruzeiro | Fagner | Injury (Foot Trauma) |
| Cruzeiro | William | Doubtful (Muscle) |
Key Factors to Watch in Botafogo vs Cruzeiro
There are a few important things to think about if you want to make an informed prediction for Botafogo vs. Cruzeiro today. In this Serie A match, both teams have their own strengths and weaknesses. Here are the most important things that could affect the outcome of this football game:
- Botafogo’s home record: Botafogo have converted Estádio Nilton Santos into a fortress, winning ten of their 13 home games there.
- Cruzeiro’s Ability to Stay Strong Away Cruzeiro has been unbeaten in seven away games, with six of them being clean sheets. This shows how strong their defense is when they are away from home.
- Botafogo’s record for defense: Botafogo has the second-best defense in Serie A, having given up only eight goals in 15 games.
- Cruzeiro’s problems lately: Cruzeiro hasn’t won in three games, including a setback at home to Ceara, which shows they aren’t at their best.
- Kaio Jorge’s Form: The Cruzeiro striker has scored five goals in his previous six games, which makes him a big threat to Botafogo’s defense.
- Injury Concerns: Botafogo is without important defenders Bastos and Philipe Sampaio, and Cruzeiro is missing João Marcelo and isn’t sure about William and Fagner.
- Head-to-Head Dominance: Cruzeiro has a psychological edge because they haven’t lost against Botafogo in 10 matches (4W, 6D).
- Fan Influence: The fervent home crowd at Estádio Nilton Santos could be like a “12th man” for Botafogo, helping them play better.
Free Tips on Botafogo vs Cruzeiro
These well chosen recommendations will help you improve your betting strategy for the Botafogo vs. Cruzeiro game. These tips, based on team form, past results, and tactical matches, are meant to help you make judgments for this Serie A match. Here are five important things to think about while betting on this match:
- Look at the trends for low-scoring games: Both sides have strong defenses. Botafogo has only given up eight goals in 15 league games, and Cruzeiro has kept six straight clean sheets away from home. This means that a low-scoring game is expected, therefore “Under 2.5 Goals” is a good choice.
- Think about how Botafogo has the home field advantage: Botafogo hasn’t lost at home yet, and their defense is excellent, so they Channel 4’s “Botafogo or Draw”S double-chance bet is a good bet for them to at least avoid losing.
- Watch Kaio Jorge’s Goal Threat: Kaio Jorge of Cruzeiro is in great shape, having scored five goals in six games. This makes it more likely that he will score or assist, making “Anytime Goalscorer: Kaio Jorge” a good market.
- Take into account Cruzeiro’s Away Clean Sheets: Cruzeiro’s ability to keep opponents from scoring on the road, with six straight clean sheets, makes a “Cruzeiro Clean Sheet” bet a possible good choice.
- Check out Corner Markets: Botafogo usually has a lot of corners at home, and Cruzeiro’s defense generally makes opponents rely on set pieces, so “Over 9.5 Corners” is a market worth looking into.
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Botafogo vs Cruzeiro Match Prediction 2025
The Botafogo vs Cruzeiro odds reflect a tightly contested match, with Botafogo’s home dominance clashing against Cruzeiro’s formidable away record. Botafogo is a small favorite because they haven’t lost at Estádio Nilton Santos and have the best defense in the league. But Cruzeiro has a history of winning head-to-head matches, and they haven’t lost in their previous 10, which makes things more complicated. Their six straight clean sheets on the road show that their defense is disciplined, which might make it hard for Botafogo to score, especially since they are missing key players like Bastos and Jeffinho. On the other hand, Cruzeiro hasn’t won a game in their last three, which makes it seem like they’re not at their best. Also, there are questions about William and Fagner that might make their defense weaker. Kaio Jorge’s ability to score is still a big threat, but Botafogo has an advantage because they play at home and follow Ancelotti’s tactical rules. Because both clubs are good at defense, the game is likely to be low-scoring. A draw seems like a good conclusion because Botafogo is good at home and Cruzeiro is tough. We think there will be a tough tie, with both sides canceling each other out.
Our Prediction: Botafogo 1-1 Cruzeiro
| Prediction Type | Prediction | Odds |
| Match Result | Draw | 3.2 |
| Total Goals | Under 2.5 Goals | 1.52 |
| Double Chance | Botafogo or Draw | 1.28 |
This Botafogo vs Cruzeiro match promises a tactical battle, and you can place your bet on Botafogo vs Cruzeiro at bc.game. With competitive odds and a range of betting markets, BC Game offers a seamless platform to wager on this exciting Serie A clash. Don’t miss the chance to back your predictions and enjoy the thrill of the game!
