Ballymena United vs Crusaders FC: prediction and stats
PremiershipRegular Season - 12Kick-off on October 17, 2026 at 02:00 PM (UTC)The Showgrounds, Ballymena
The Footlab model makes Ballymena United the favourite at 51%, against 25% for a draw and 25% for Crusaders FC. The most likely score is 1-1.
This model is measured at 53.9% 1X2 accuracy on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. See the measured accuracy
Probabilities recomputed on Aug 26, 2026. The full match card is recomputed continuously until kick-off.
Who will win Ballymena United vs Crusaders FC?
A very open match: only 25 Elo points separate Ballymena United (1,482) and Crusaders FC (1,458).
What is the recent form of both teams?
Over their last 15 matches in all competitions, Ballymena United have 7 wins, 3 draws and 5 defeats; Crusaders FC have 10, 2 and 3.
The competition is shown for every match: in pre-season, several of these games are friendlies.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Glentoran(home) | 0-2 | Premiership |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Crusaders FC(away) | 1-2 | Premiership |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Linfield(away) | 3-0 | Premiership |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Glenavon FC(away) | 1-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Annagh United(away) | 2-2 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2026 | Portadown(home) | 3-2 | Premiership |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Ballymena United(home) | 2-1 | Premiership |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Cliftonville FC(away) | 1-2 | Premiership |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Dundela(home) | 2-0 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Newington Youth(home) | 1-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
What does the head-to-head say?
Across the last 6 meetings: 1 Ballymena United win(s), 2 draw(s), 3 Crusaders FC win(s).
| Date | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2026 | Crusaders FC 2-1 Ballymena United | Premiership |
| Apr 25, 2026 | Crusaders FC 3-2 Ballymena United | Premiership |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Ballymena United 2-0 Crusaders FC | Premiership |
| Nov 22, 2025 | Ballymena United 2-2 Crusaders FC | Premiership |
| Sep 20, 2025 | Crusaders FC 1-1 Ballymena United | Premiership |
| Feb 15, 2025 | Crusaders FC 3-1 Ballymena United | Premiership |
Last archived meeting: Crusaders FC vs Ballymena United on Aug 15, 2026
How many goals should we expect?
Ballymena United score 2.3 and concede 1.3 goals per match over their last 15; Crusaders FC score 1.9 and concede 1.0. The model gives a 57% probability of over 2.5 goals and 59% for both teams to score.
| Club | Goals scored / match | Goals conceded / match | Clean sheets | Both teams scored | Over 2.5 goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballymena United | 2.3 | 1.3 | 4 | 10/15 | 11/15 |
| Crusaders FC | 1.9 | 1.0 | 6 | 9/15 | 9/15 |
Over the last 15 matches in all competitions.
Where do both teams sit in the table?
Ballymena United sit 8th in Premiership (3 points from 3 matches) and Crusaders FC sit 4th (6 points from 3 matches).
| # | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Crusaders FC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| 8 | Ballymena United | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Verdict, probable XI and verified absences
The full match card recomputes this prediction continuously until kick-off: multi-market verdict, player-by-player probable XI and web-verified absences.
Open the full match card in the app
No odds, no affiliation: the method is published and the accuracy is measured.
How does Footlab compute this prediction?
The model combines both teams' Elo ratings (anchored by competition pool), their recent form weighted by opponent strength, home advantage and a Poisson matrix for scorelines. Its accuracy is measured continuously on the predictions actually published. Methodology and measured accuracy
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the favourite for Ballymena United vs Crusaders FC?
- The Footlab model makes Ballymena United the favourite at 51%, against 25% for a draw and 25% for Crusaders FC.
- Where and when is Ballymena United vs Crusaders FC played?
- Ballymena United vs Crusaders FC is played on October 17, 2026 at 02:00 PM (UTC) at The Showgrounds, in the Premiership.
- Will there be over 2.5 goals?
- The Footlab model gives a 57% probability of at least three goals in this match.
- How reliable is this prediction?
- The Footlab model is measured at 53.9% correct 1X2 outcomes on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. The breakdown by competition and Elo gap is published on the accuracy page.