2023 Saudi Pro League Preview: Al Hilal vs. Al Nassr Prediction, Odds, and Picks (Dec 1)

• Al Hilal vs. Al Nassr a.k.a. the Riyadh Derby is on the program on Friday, December 1, 2023.
• Both teams are incredible offensively, but it’s Al Hilal that has much better defense than anyone else in Saudi Arabia.

Al Hilal vs. Al Nassr is the biggest game of the 2023 Saudi Professional League. Unfortunately, Brazilian superstar Neymar won’t feature in the December 1 game, but we’ll see many other elite players on the field, most notably, Cristiano Ronaldo.

It’s going to be a fun game, there’s no doubt about that. After all, the Riyadh Derby is the biggest sports rivalry in Saudi Arabia. Al Hilal leads the all-time series, but Al Hilal vs. Al Nassr odds suggest winning again won’t be easy.

Even though Al Hilal did open as a minus-money favorite, this team’s odds are now relatively close to those of Al Nassr.

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How to Watch

• When: Friday, December 1, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. ET
• Where: King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• How to Watch: Fubo

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Odds

Game Result	Odds
Al Hilal	+110
Draw	+250
Al Nassr	+200

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Game Preview

The Al Hilal vs. Al Nassr SPL odds are still in favor of the home team, but they’ve not as short as they were just a few days ago. One of the reasons is that is Al Hilal is playing in the Asian Champions League just three days before the 2023 Riyadh Derby. And the game in question is played in Uzbekistan, meaning that they won’t be home until Thursday.

Meanwhile, Al Nassr play their AFC Champions League game on Monday evening at home, meaning that they’ll practically have three days more to prepare for the duel with their arch-rivals.

🚨🇸🇦 Saudi Pro League updated table. Cristiano Ronaldo as the top scorer and top assister.

AL HILAL, WE ARE COMING FOR YOU. pic.twitter.com/V0Mxzy0s4A

— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) November 11, 2023

They’ll have more time to get ready for the derby, but will that actually help them against the No. 1 team in the 2023 Saudi Pro League?  Al Hilal is sitting top of the table for a reason. Even without Neymar, this team looks amazing, with some elite players in all areas on the pitch.

Rather surprisingly for a Saudi team, these guys are incredibly strong at the back with Bono as their goalkeeper and Kalidou Koulibaly as one of their defenders.

Al Nassr’s best defender is Aymeric Laporte, but the former Manchester City center-back has only just returned to the squad after missing several games due to an injury.

Their defense doesn’t look great, but Al Nassr compensates for that with a hard-working midfield and a Cristiano Ronaldo-led offense.

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Al Hilal vs. Al Nassr Prediction

Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the 2023 SPL who seems capable of scoring against any opponent. But even if CR7 does score on Friday, it probably won’t be enough to win the Riyadh Derby. Instead, we think Al Hilal will destroy Al Nassr’s defense, scoring enough goals to win all three points.  

Free Pick:

• Al Hilal & over 2.5 goals