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2026 NFL Draft: Here’s the prospects that are locks to be taken in first round

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The 2026 NFL Draft is now less than two weeks away. This may not be the most elite class in draft history, but it’s fascinating for a number of different reasons. There is a pass rusher that played more linebacker in college that is expected to be a top three pick, there’s a star running back that could be the next Jahmyr Gibbs, but how high he’s selected remains to be seen, and this could be a draft where just one quarterback is selected on opening night.

Every year there are players that are considered “first-round locks.” Legitimate talent that will be instant-impact players or immediate starters that numerous teams are excited about. However, not every player selected in the top 32 are considered “blue chip talents.” So how many first-round locks are there in this 2026 class?

Below, we will go position by position and break down players that are locks to go in the first round. When we say “lock,” we mean that we are betting everything on these players being selected on opening night. Not a player who has an 80% chance of being drafted in the top 32. Unless, of course, NFL teams have flagged something medical-related with the prospect that we don’t know about. With that being said, let’s begin with the quarterbacks. 

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2026 NFL mock draft: Two top-five curveballs, plus a team trades back into Round 1 for Ty Simpson

Jordan Dajani

2026 NFL mock draft: Two top-five curveballs, plus a team trades back into Round 1 for Ty Simpson
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QB (1)

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The No. 1 overall prospect in this class and reigning Heisman Trophy winner led the Indiana Hoosiers to an undefeated season that was capped by a National Championship. Even if you don’t think Fernando Mendoza is Joe Burrow, he’s a college football legend who is a lock to go on opening night. DraftKings Sportsbook has him listed at -20000 to go No. 1 overall. 

RB (1)

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Some believe Jeremiyah Love is the top player in this class. The problem is that he plays running back, which could cause him to fall out of the top five. The Doak Walker Award winner led the FBS with eight plays of 20+ yards gained, and is a threat to score from virtually anywhere on the field. DraftKings has him listed at -1400 to be a top 10 pick. Lock. 

WR (2)

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Carnell Tate should be the first wide receiver off the board this month. He racked up 838 yards receiving and nine touchdowns in 2025, and led the FBS with six touchdowns on throws of 30 or more air yards. He’s not a “burner” necessarily, but does separate downfield with good route running and is a clear deep-ball threat.

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Yes he’s a “slot merchant,” but Makai Lemon is an immediate-impact player that could really shine in the right system. The reigning Biletnikoff Award winner had four games last season where he exploded for 150 yards and a touchdown, including against Iowa. Lemon is going in the first round, but it remains to be seen where. 

TE (1)

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The top tight end in this class ranked first among FBS tight ends in receiving touchdowns last year with eight, and fifth in receptions with 51. Tight ends aren’t supposed to run 4.39 40-yard dashes, but Kenyon Sadiq is that kind of playmaker that will immediately help any offense. 

OL (7)

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The three-year starter at right tackle for Miami is durable and consistent in both run-blocking and pass protection, which is why he’s commonly mocked as the top offensive lineman off the board. DraftKings has Francis Mauigoa listed at -300 to be the first offensive lineman to hear his name called this month.

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Spencer Fano won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior offensive lineman last season, but he can play basically anywhere on the offensive line — including tackle. Fano allowed zero sacks in 2025, and three total sacks during three seasons at Utah. 

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Kadyn Proctor is actually CBS Sports’ top-ranked offensive tackle and No. 4 overall prospect. I would argue that he’s not the most polished prospect, but Proctor’s athleticism and 6-foot-7, 350-pound frame are hard to ignore.

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Another Utah offensive lineman here. Caleb Lomu played left tackle for the Utes and showed he can move at a high level in space. He probably needs to add some mass at 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, but he’s expected to go somewhere in the first round. DraftKings has him listed at -700 to be selected on opening night.

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Georgia’s left tackle has been mocked as high as No. 6 overall to the Cleveland Browns. I don’t think he’s the most Day 1-ready offensive tackle in this class, but pundits speculate Monroe Freeling could have the highest ceiling as a true left tackle. 

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A three-time All-ACC right tackle, Blake Miller is -900 to be selected in the first round, according to DraftKings. He’s actually the Clemson record-holder for snaps from scrimmage with 3,778 in 54 starts. 

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Vega Ioane is arguably the top interior offensive lineman in this class, and he allowed zero sacks, zero QB hits and just four pressures this past season. Is he a natural fit for the Baltimore Ravens at No. 14 overall?

DT (0)

EDGE (3)

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David Bailey is probably going No. 2 or No. 3 overall. In an EDGE class that features several different flavors, Bailey is probably the best “pure pass rusher.” He ranked second in the FBS in pressures (81), tied for first in sacks (14.5) and registered a whopping 38 QB hits. That tied for the most QB hits in a single season in the FBS over the last decade. 

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Rueben Bain Jr. appears to be falling down mock draft boards a bit, but DraftKings still has him listed at -320 to be a top 10 pick. CBS Sports ranks him as the No. 2 overall prospect in this class and compares him to Dwight Freeney. Bain famously has short arms, but his power is evident. No FBS player recorded more pressures than him in 2025 (83). 

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Arvell Reese played primarily off the ball at Ohio State, but many project him to move to EDGE at the next level. He ranked top three on a loaded Buckeyes defense in tackles, sacks, and tackles for loss, and tore up the combine with his fluid on-field work and a 4.46 40-yard dash. Some draft experts would say Reese has the highest ceiling of any pass rusher in this class, and DraftKings has him listed at -1400 to be a top five pick. 

LB (1)

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If you want to draft Fred Warner, here’s your chance. Sonny Styles is -1400 to be a top 10 pick over at DraftKings, and is arguably a top five talent on big boards. He’s a former safety that brings coverage skills and speed to the linebacker position, but is a fantastic tackler as well. 

CB (2)

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Mansoor Delane is -330 to be a top 10 pick at DraftKings. He’s fluid in both man coverage and zone, and allowed zero touchdowns with zero penalties last season. At times, I thought he was an NFL player going undercover as a college cornerback.

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Jermod McCoy is CB1 to some evaluators despite not playing a single snap last year. McCoy tore his ACL in January 2025, and prioritized his recovery. His 2024 season was fantastic, as McCoy recorded 44 tackles, nine passes defensed and four interceptions. There were concerns about his stock, but McCoy appeared to eliminate those concerns after an impressive Pro Day in Knoxville. 

S (2)

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An easy lock. The best safety in college football is the only defensive back to record 250 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and five interceptions over the past three seasons. Caleb Downs leaves Ohio State a two-time Unanimous All-American and Jim Thorpe Award winner. 

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I imagine there’s a lot of love for Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman behind the scenes. He recorded six interceptions as a freshman at Purdue, then two years later transferred to Oregon and recorded 96 tackles, five passes defensed and two interceptions while picking up First Team All-Big Ten honors. Thieneman is aggressive in both pass coverage and in defending the run. His 306 tackles over the last three seasons rank No. 1 among all defensive backs.

Final first-round lock board (20)

QB

Fernando Mendoza

Indiana

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RB

Jeremiyah Love

Notre Dame

WR

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Carnell Tate

Ohio State

WR

Makai Lemon

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USC

TE

Kenyon Sadiq

Oregon

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OL

Francis Mauigoa

Miami

OL

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Spencer Fano

Utah

OL

Kadyn Proctor

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Alabama

OL

Caleb Lomu

Utah

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OL

Monroe Freeling

Georgia

OL Blake Miller Clemson

OL

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Olaivavega Ioane

Penn State

EDGE

David Bailey

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Texas Tech

EDGE

Rueben Bain Jr.

Miami

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EDGE

Arvell Reese

Ohio State

LB

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Sonny Styles

Ohio State

CB

Mansoor Delane

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LSU

CB

Jermod McCoy

Tennessee

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S

Caleb Downs

Ohio State

S

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Dillon Thieneman

Oregon

Players that were close, but didn’t make the cut as a ‘lock’

Odds to be selected in the first round: (Not listed)

Jordyn Tyson will probably be the third wide receiver off the board in the first round, and that’s because of injury concerns. He’s actually holding a workout for NFL teams six days before the draft begins to prove he’s healthy. If that workout goes poorly or he re-injures his hamstring, Tyson could fall. 

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Cooper’s odds to be selected in the first round: -1600
Concepcion’s odds to be selected in the first round: -350

Both of these wideouts are likely to be selected in the first round, but it may come in the late 20s. Depending on how the board falls, could either Cooper or Concepcion be selected before the other, and that other pass-catcher fall to the second round? It’s possible. 

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Odds to be selected in the first round: -900

Keldric Faulk is a player I think NFL teams are a lot more high on than fans. He’s a 20-year-old, 6-foot-6, 276-pound pass rusher with long arms, but recorded just 29 tackles and two sacks last year. 

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Odds to be selected in the first round: -550

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Akheem Mesidor is absolutely a first-round talent, but he’s 25-years-old.

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Odds to be selected in the first round: -270

I have Max Iheanachor going in the first round, but he’s a raw athlete that didn’t start playing football until junior college around five years ago. 

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Drama at Wankhede! RCB star Tim David refuses to return ball; umpire annoyed – WATCH | Cricket News

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Drama at Wankhede! RCB star Tim David refuses to return ball; umpire annoyed - WATCH
Tim David (Image credit: X)

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Tim David left the umpire slightly annoyed with a playful act during their IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.The incident unfolded in the 18th over of the RCB innings when David smashed a towering six off Hardik Pandya over deep mid-wicket. The strike was so powerful that it altered the shape of the ball, which had also become wet, forcing the umpires to call for a replacement.As the box of used balls was brought out, David picked one up and began casually playing with it. Despite repeated requests from the umpire to hand it back, the Australian continued to toy with the ball for a few moments, leaving the official visibly miffed. After a brief delay, David finally returned the ball, bringing a smile back to the situation.Rohit Sharma also joined in, sharing a light-hearted moment with David as the incident drew laughter on the field.Earlier, RCB’s top order had dominated proceedings. Skipper Rajat Patidar, along with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, struck impressive half-centuries to power the defending champions to a massive 240/4 — the second-highest total of the season.Salt led the charge with a blistering 78 off 36 balls, hitting six fours and six sixes, while Kohli anchored the innings with a composed 50 off 38 deliveries. The pair added a fluent 120 runs for the opening wicket before Shardul Thakur provided the breakthrough.Patidar then carried forward the momentum with a rapid 53 off just 20 balls, laced with four boundaries and five sixes, as RCB stamped their authority with a commanding batting display.In reply, Mumbai Indians could manage 222/5. RCB won the match by 18 runs

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IPL 2026 points table after Match 20: RCB hold firm at No. 3; Mumbai Indians stay 8th

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NEW DELHI: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru strengthened their hold on third place in the IPL 2026 points table with an 18-run win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. With this victory, RCB now have three wins and one loss from four matches, taking their tally to six points with an impressive net run rate of +1.148.

Despite the defeat, Mumbai Indians continue to languish in eighth place. They have managed just one win in four outings, with three losses, and have a net run rate of -0.772.

At the top of the table, Rajasthan Royals remain unbeaten, winning all four of their matches to sit comfortably with eight points and a league-best net run rate of +2.055.

Punjab Kings follow in second place with three wins from four matches, accumulating seven points and a net run rate of +0.720.

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Behind RCB, Delhi Capitals occupy fourth position with two wins and two losses, earning four points and a net run rate of +0.322.

Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants are placed fifth and sixth respectively, both with identical records of two wins and two losses from four matches.

However, Gujarat Titans have a slightly better net run rate (-0.029) compared to Lucknow (-0.427).

Sunrisers Hyderabad sit seventh with just one win in four matches and a net run rate of -0.024.

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Below Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings are ninth with one win and three defeats, struggling with a net run rate of -1.532.

At the bottom of the table, Kolkata Knight Riders are yet to register a win, with three losses and one no-result, giving them just one point and a net run rate of -1.315.

Position

Team

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Played

Won

Lost

No Result

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Points

NRR

1

Rajasthan Royals

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4

4

0

0

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8

+2.055

2

Punjab Kings

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4

3

0

1

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7

+0.720

3

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

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4

3

1

0

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6

+1.148

4

Delhi Capitals

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4

2

2

0

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4

+0.322

5

Gujarat Titans

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4

2

2

0

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4

-0.029

6

Lucknow Super Giants

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4

2

2

0

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4

-0.427

7

Sunrisers Hyderabad

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4

1

3

0

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2

-0.024

8

Mumbai Indians

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4

1

3

0

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2

-0.772

9

Chennai Super Kings

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4

1

3

0

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2

-1.532

10

Kolkata Knight Riders

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4

0

3

1

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1

-1.315

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What Forced Rohit Sharma To Leave Field Midway During MI vs RCB – Explained

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Rohit Sharma, batting on 19 off 13 balls, walked off the pitch during Mumbai Indians’ chase of 241 against Royal Challengers Benglauru at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday during an IPL 2026 match. MI needed Rohit to stay for long to chase down the target, but an unbeaten Rohit walking off the pitch raised a massive concern. According to reports, Rohit Sharma was struggling with is hamstring and decided to walk off. However, by his facial expression, it did not look like it was a minor issue. If that was the case, it can be safely presumed that Rohit would not have left the field.

Even Virat Kohli faced an ankle issue and did not field for RCB. Ultimately, MI failed to chase down a 241-run target and lost the match by 18 runs.

Earlier, star India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli continued his love affair with Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Wankhede Stadium as he became the first-ever batter to hit 1,000 runs against the five-time champions on Sunday.

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During the high-octane match against MI, Virat held one end steady as Phil Salt and skipper Rajat Patidar fired massive sixes, scoring 50 in 38 balls, with five fours and a six, at a strike rate of over 131.

Now against MI, Virat has scored 1,030 runs in 36 innings at an average of 32.18 and a strike rate of 129.23, with a best score of 92* and seven fifties.

In his four innings in this edition of the season so far, Virat has made 179 runs at an average of 59.66, with a strike rate of 162.72, including two fifties and a best score of 69*.

In 23 matches and innings at Wankhede Stadium, Virat has made 888 runs at an average of 55.5, with a strike rate of 148.49, with nine fifties and a best score of 92*.

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Virat also had a century partnership with Phil Salt, registering his 47th century partnership in T20s, the most by a batter in T20s, outdoing Chris Gayle, who was involved in 46 such stands.

A 120-run stand between Salt (78 in 36 balls, with six fours and six sixes) and Virat and a 65-run stand between Virat (50 in 38 balls, with five fours and a six) and skipper Patidar (53 in 20 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes) and later some brutal hitting from David (34* in 16 balls, with two fours and three sixes) pushed RCB to a massive score of 240/4 in 20 overs.

With agency inputs 


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Tushar Deshpande’s Brilliant Final Act Ensures Thrilling Win For RR Over Gujarat Titans

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Rory McIlroy explains why his parents nearly didn’t attend historic Masters success

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Back-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy was delighted to have his parents at Augusta National to witness his triumph after they missed out a year ago.

Mum Rosie and dad Gerry were back home in Northern Ireland when he completed the career grand slam 12 months ago and he admitted they had doubts about flying over for his defence.

But they were rewarded with a one-stroke victory as he secured his sixth major.

“It’s only the second major win my mum’s been at, she was at The Open in Hoylake in 2014,” he said.

“There was a piece of them that didn’t want to come this year after not being here last year but I’m so glad they got to experience this today.

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“I can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one green jacket and now I get two in a row.

“I think all of my perseverance at this golf tournament over the years has really started to pay off.

“It was a tough weekend. I did the bulk of my work on Thursday and Friday, but I’m just so happy to hang in there and get the job done.”

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Tondela vs Gil Vicente Prediction and Betting Tips

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Tondela and Gil Vicente bring round 29 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga to an end when they square off at the Estadio Joao Cardoso on Monday. Both sides head into the game off the back of contrasting results, with the Gilistas claiming a comfortable home victory over AVS.

Tondela dropped three more points at the wrong end of the Primeira Liga standings last time out when they suffered a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Vitoria de Guimaraes.

With that result, Goncalo Feio’s men have failed to win 10 of their most recent 11 matches, losing five and picking up five draws since kicking off the year with a 3-1 victory over Arouca on January 3.

Having gained promotion from the second tier last season to end a three-year absence from the top flight, Tondela find themselves in the fight to avoid relegation, as they sit 17th in the Primeira Liga table with just 20 points from 27 games, five points away from safety.

Meanwhile, Gil Vicente cruised to a 3-0 victory over bottom-dwellers AVS at the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos last time out to rekindle hopes of securing European qualification.

The Gilistas had failed to win their previous five matches, losing three and picking up two draws while conceding 10 goals and scoring six across the five matches.

Gil Vicente have picked up 45 points from their 28 Primeira Liga matches so far to sit sixth in the standings, seven points behind fourth-placed Braga in the UEFA Conference League qualifying spot heading into the final six games.

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Tondela vs Gil Vicente Head-To-Head and Key Numbers

  • Gil Vicente hold the upper hand in the history of this fixture, having won five of the last nine meetings between the two teams.
  • Tondela have picked up two wins in that time, while the spoils have been shared on two occasions.
  • Gil Vicente have won just one of their most recent nine away matches, while losing three and claiming five draws since the start of November.
  • Tondela are on a run of six consecutive home games without a win, losing twice and claiming four draws since January’s 3-1 victory over Arouca.

Tondela vs Gil Vicente Prediction

Buoyed by their win over AVS, Gil Vicente will look to put together solid late-season form as they eye the Conference League ticket.

The Gilistas are up against a floundering Tondela side who have struggled to impose themselves in the big leagues, and we are backing them to come away with all three points.

Prediction: Tondela 0-2 Gil Vicente


Tondela vs Gil Vicente Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result – Gil Vicente to win

Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals – No (There have been fewer than three goals scored in five of the last seven meetings between the two teams)

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Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards – No (There have also been fewer than five cards issued in five of their last six clashes)