Palestine vs New Zealand — Tips & Analysis

Palestine +0.75: Palestine almost never get beaten heavily, and that is what this pick leans on. They have lost by 2 or more goals just once in their last 9 games. Palestine are a low scoring, hard to break down side. They score just over a goal a game and let in a goal a game, and their games average just over 2 goals in total. They have won 3, tied 4 and lost 2 of those 9, so level games are their habit. New Zealand look frightening on paper. They score almost 4 goals a game. Look closer and that number comes from Oceania wins like 8-0 over Samoa, 8-1 over Vanuatu and 7-0 over Fiji. Against World Cup opposition they scored once, once and twice. They have also lost 3 of their last 9. Both squads have flown to Chongqing for this one, so neither team is hosting. New Zealand have picked a fresh squad for the trip, which points to a scrappy, stop start game rather than an open one. A 1-1 tie is the most likely score, and Palestine staying level or close is all we need. The worry is real. Palestine have not played in 287 days, so nobody knows how rusty they will be. A friendly also makes team selection a guess on both sides. We still think Palestine keep this tight.