Deportivo La Coruña return to La Liga against a Real Betis side whose recent form runs almost parallel to theirs. Formatic's weighted last-five score gives Betis 6 out of 10 and Deportivo 5.78, a gap of just 0.22 that suggests little to choose between them on current rhythm. Both have recorded 3 wins from their most recent 5 matches, both have scored in 4 of those 5, and both carry defensive solidity into the fixture with multiple clean sheets in the sample. The difference sits in the details: Deportivo conceded only 3 goals across that stretch and kept 3 clean sheets, while Betis let in 5 and managed 2 shutouts. That tighter defensive record belongs to the hosts, though pre-season friendlies dominate both recent schedules and those results carry less weight than competitive fixtures.

Deportivo's attack put 9 goals past five opponents, a figure inflated by the 4-0 friendly win away to Compostela on 18 July. The scoreline that matters most came on 24 May when they travelled to Valladolid and won 2-0 in Segunda División, a result that underlines defensive organisation and finishing efficiency. They also edged FC Andorra 2-1 at home on 17 May, then lost 1-2 at home to Las Palmas on 31 May before settling into a 0-0 draw away to Oviedo in their most recent friendly. That sequence shows a side capable of keeping opponents quiet but one whose attacking output has varied sharply depending on the opposition.

Real Betis have scored 7 across the same sample, spreading those goals more evenly. Their 3-0 win away to Sportfreunde Lotte on 18 July was the only emphatic scoreline, and their competitive fixtures from May tell a fuller story: a 2-1 home win against Levante on 23 May followed a 1-3 defeat away to Barcelona on 17 May. More recently they beat Recreativo Huelva 1-0 away on 22 July, then lost 0-1 away to Granada CF on 25 July. Betis have shown they can win tight matches and blank dangerous opponents, but the friendly losses suggest fragility when the attacking unit misfires.

The head to head record across 8 meetings shows Real Betis with 3 wins to Deportivo's 1, alongside 4 draws and an average of 2.5 goals per match. Both teams scored in 6 of those 8 encounters, and 4 went over 2.5 goals. The five itemised clashes span February 2018 back to February 2016, with three of those five finishing level: 1-1 on 8 March 2017, 0-0 on 26 August 2016 and 2-2 on 13 February 2016. Real Betis took the most recent meeting 1-0 at home on 12 February 2018 and won 2-1 away on 16 September 2017, establishing a pattern of narrow margins and shared scoring.

Formatic's model will price this fixture closer to kick-off, but the numbers already point toward a contest shaped by tight defences and fluctuating attacking output. The 0.22 form gap, the near-identical win tallies and the head to head habit of both sides finding the net suggest the decisive factor will be which attack clicks first. Deportivo's superior clean sheet ratio in the recent sample gives them a marginal edge at home, but Betis carry the stronger head to head pedigree and recent competitive experience at La Liga level. The data supports a low-scoring affair decided by one or two moments, with both teams likelier to score than to dominate.