Last weekend, defending champions Enugu Rangers kicked off the new Nigeria Professional Football League season hoping to retain the title. Things didn’t go as planned as the newly promoted El Kanemi Warriors held them to a goalless draw. This week, the rest of the teams get to join in the fun as they play their first games of the 2024/25 campaign. With the excitement building up for our domestic football lovers, here are our bet predictions.
**Total Odds: 13.75** **Booking Code: JEY86**
**Bendel Insurance vs. Rivers United FC** Despite finishing 9th, Bendel Insurance were a bore to watch last season as they scored just 32 goals - the 18th worst record in the league and the lowest by a team to survive relegation. Their games featured a league worst 1.63 goals per game and a league high 8 of their games ended goalless. That said, I don’t expect this game to finish goalless. Surprisingly, both meetings between Bendel Insurance & Rivers United last season produced 5 goals, with both teams finding the back of the net on each occasion. Maybe there's something about Rivers United that gets Bendel Insurance firing on all cylinders. The big talking point ahead of this match, as expected, is Finidi George being named Rivers United's new head coach. The former Ajax winger guided Enyimba to the league title in 2023 and had them in the title race again last season. But with a shot at coaching the Super Eagles in sight, he walked away from Enyimba with just weeks left in the season, though they were third on the table with a realistic shot at retaining the title. As we know, things didn't go as planned with the Nigeria football national team, and he was sacked after just two games. Now at Rivers United – a club with big ambitions – Finidi is eager to restore his reputation, and for our online betting community, we suggest backing him to get a result here
**Heartland vs. Enyimba** In what’s bound to be an emotional Oriental Derby, Heartland will welcome Enyimba to Owerri. Just two weeks ago, while heading to Abakaliki for the TICO/SELECT pre-season tournament, Heartland FC were involved in a tragic accident. The crash took the life of assistant coach and ex-Nigerian goalkeeper, Christian Obi, and left several others injured. It's a heartbreaking situation, and I can't help but think the players might carry a lot of emotions into this game. Now, onto the game itself, there are two key points to highlight. First off, Heartland were relegated last season. Yeah, I know—if you're just a casual NPFL fan, it doesn’t add up. Beyond Limits should’ve been in the league this season, but since they share the same ownership as Remo Stars, it would’ve violated league rules. So, they had to give up their spot, which Heartland bought. Knowing this, it’s pretty clear Heartland isn’t exactly a top-tier team. Secondly, Heartland introduced 30 new players for the upcoming season. Yep, you read that right—30! **_“Chelsea and Todd Boehly dey learn work”_** - you might say. That’s definitely going to mess with team chemistry. Perhaps there’s no chemistry at all. On top of that, Enyimba did the double over them last season, so our bet of the day for Sunday is on the People’s Elephant to come out on top.
**Kano Pillars vs. Ikorodu FC** Experience vs. Youth. Anyone with a solid grasp of the NPFL knows Kano Pillars are one of Nigeria’s historic teams. In 2015, they made it into the Guinness World Records after going 12 years (from 2003 to 2015) and 202 games without a home loss. Last season wasn’t their best, finishing 14th, but they still won 14 of their 19 home matches. This weekend, they will welcome Ikorodu FC to the Sani Abacha Stadium with hopes of starting the season with a win. Ikorodu FC is newly promoted and aiming to shake things up at the top level. Unlike most Nigerian teams, which are owned by the government or billionaires, Ikorodu FC is community-owned, proudly representing the people of Ikorodu. While other teams lean on experience in their squad as the safer route to success in the league, Ikorodu FC is sticking to their roots, focusing on developing their own talent. With an average age of just 22, they’re easily the youngest team in the league. That being said, we think the moment might be overwhelming for the young Ikorodu FC squad. While we expect big things from them this season, this is probably the toughest opening match they could’ve faced, and we’re backing Kano Pillars to take all 3 points.
**Kwara United vs. Niger Tornadoes** Two wins in their final three games helped both teams avoid relegation, finishing 5 points clear of the drop zone. They’re pretty similar, sharing the same issues (poor away form, weak offense) and strengths (solid home performances). You could say, they cancel it out. Literally, too. Last season, both meetings between them ended in draws: the game in Kwara was 0-0, and the one in Minna finished 1-1. Neither side has made any major changes in the offseason to convince me that this season will be any different. Playing it safe and sticking with the familiar might be the best bet.
**Lobi Stars vs. Akwa United** For a good part of last season, Lobi Stars were in the title race, even holding the top spot for several weeks. However, a rough patch toward the end, including 3 losses in their last 5 games, saw them miss out on a continental spot, dropping to 6th place. Unlike many NPFL teams that go through major roster changes in the off-season, Lobi Stars are bringing back over 20 players, giving them a big edge heading into this campaign. On the other hand, Akwa United have brought in 17 new players, including two goalkeepers, six defenders, five midfielders, and four strikers. Among the key signings is former national U-17 and U-20 utility player Charles Etim from Blessed Stars Football Club. Striker Mare Abson joined from Societe ASPAC in Benin Republic, Ghanaian forward Paul Acquah arrived from Al Anwar in Libya, while strikers Chijioke Alaekwe and Ruben Bala were signed from Tayaran FC and Coton Sport FC, respectively. The last time these two teams faced off, Akwa United came out as the away winners, though it’s worth mentioning the game was played on neutral ground. Heading into this weekend, I think it’ll be too soon Akwa United will be anything close to their best since, you know, they just signed 17 new players. **I’m backing Lobi Stars to either win or draw,** as once again, the match will be held at a neutral venue (Lafia), taking away Lobi Stars' usual home advantage.
**Plateau United vs. Katsina United** Plateau United finished 5th last season, largely thanks to their lethal attack. Only the eventual champions, Enugu Rangers (56), scored more goals than them (53), with Albert Hilary tying for 3rd place on the individual scoring charts. He also found the net when these two teams met back in March, so he’s definitely a player to watch in this matchup. Katsina United’s off-season has been full of controversy. Two months ago, they were hit with a FIFA ban preventing them from registering new players for three transfer windows. This has left them unable to improve their roster, having already lost several key players on free transfers. One player, who wished to remain anonymous, shared how his contract was terminated by the club, only for them to reverse the decision after the ban, leaving him both confused and frustrated. I suspect many players on the team are dealing with similar situations heading into the new season. Since 2017, these two teams have faced off 10 times in the league. Out of those, two matches ended in draws, while the host team won 8 of them. Given the trend that the away side often struggles in this fixture, we’re leaning towards a Plateau United win. We’re also betting on them to score at least twice and we have the best odds for that on BetKing.