NIFL Premiership
Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders
Sat, 03 Oct 2026 - 15:00 (UK Time)
Stadium: Belfast Loughshore Hotel Arena
Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders Prediction & Stats - NIFL Premiership 2026/27
Predictions
Another instalment of a long-running fixture. Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders carries real history into this round of the NIFL Premiership.
The two sides meet on 03/10 (Saturday) at Belfast Loughshore Hotel Arena, 15:00 (UK time).
Read the Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders prediction below before backing anything.
Our verdict on Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders
A deep head-to-head record gives this fixture a story, and that context feeds directly into our thinking. This is the Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders call we are most confident in:
Eagle Predict Prediction
BTTS - Yes
Last updated on 30-09-2026.
Who do the bookmakers favour?
The market makes Carrick Rangers the side to beat, with roughly 61% of the implied odds in their favour.
For the wider picture, compare all NIFL Premiership odds and the rest of the round's fixtures before you settle on a bet.
Carrick Rangers Preview
Carrick Rangers reach this fixture 9 match into their NIFL Premiership. Here is where Carrick Rangers stand:
In this competition
3 won, 1 drawn, 5 lost
1.11 points per game
11 scored, at 1.22 a game
15 conceded, at 1.67 a game
Carrick Rangers, season-wide
3 won, 1 drawn, 5 lost across all competitions
Leading scorer: Daniel Purkis, 4 goals
Most assists: Daniel Purkis, 1 assists
Recent results — Carrick Rangers
26/09/2026 10:00
19/09/2026 10:00
15/09/2026 14:45
12/09/2026 10:00
05/09/2026 10:00
Crusaders: how they are travelling
Crusaders come in 9 matches into their NIFL Premiership.
Here is what Crusaders have produced:
In this competition
5 won, 0 drawn, 4 lost
1.67 points per game
15 scored, at 1.67 a game
14 conceded, at 1.56 a game
Crusaders, season-wide
5 won, 0 drawn, 4 lost across all competitions
Leading scorer: Adam Brooks, 3 goals
Most assists: Owen Waddell, 1 assists
Recent results — Crusaders
26/09/2026 10:00
19/09/2026 10:00
15/09/2026 14:45
12/09/2026 10:00
05/09/2026 13:00
The head-to-head favours Crusaders
Crusaders have generally come out ahead of Carrick Rangers in their recent meetings.
From 31 match(es):
Crusaders: 21 win(s)
Carrick Rangers: 6 win(s)
Drawn: 4
That trend is worth factoring into the Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders prediction.
Form comparison Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders
A side-by-side look at how both teams are performing right now, to set the context for your bets:
Home Team
Carrick Rangers
Northern Ireland - NIFL Premiership
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall |
L
L
D
L
L
|
1.11 |
| Home |
L
L
L
W
|
0.75 |
| Away |
L
D
L
W
W
|
1.4 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 33% | 25% | 40% |
| Goals | 2.89 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Scored | 1.22 | 1 | 1.4 |
| Conceded | 1.67 | 2.5 | 1 |
| Both Teams to Score | 44% | 50% | 40% |
| Without Conceding | 22% | 25% | 20% |
| Failed To Score | 33% | 25% | 40% |
| first to Score | 0% | 0% | 0% |
|
xG
|
1.4 | 1.62 | 1.18 |
|
xGA
|
1.48 | 1.44 | 1.52 |
Away Team
Crusaders
Northern Ireland - NIFL Premiership
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall |
W
L
W
L
L
|
1.67 |
| Home |
W
W
L
W
W
|
2.4 |
| Away |
L
L
W
L
|
0.75 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 56% | 80% | 25% |
| Goals | 3.22 | 3.4 | 3 |
| Scored | 1.67 | 2.2 | 1 |
| Conceded | 1.56 | 1.2 | 2 |
| Both Teams to Score | 78% | 80% | 75% |
| Without Conceding | 11% | 20% | 0% |
| Failed To Score | 11% | 0% | 25% |
| first to Score | 0% | 0% | 0% |
|
xG
|
0.98 | 1.09 | 0.84 |
|
xGA
|
1.35 | 1.08 | 1.69 |
Further markets to consider
Beyond the main tip at the top of the page, two more selections stand out for this match-up:
👉 Prediction: Double Chance - X2
Our analysis suggests there is little separating Carrick Rangers and Crusaders in terms of overall quality. However, with the security of the Double Chance market, where a win or a draw is enough to land the bet, we see great value in backing Crusaders.
With odds of 2.2, there’s solid potential for an upset, especially considering Carrick Rangers’s recent struggles and Crusaders’s form.
👉 Prediction: Carrick Rangers to Win
It’s hard to see any outcome other than a Carrick Rangers victory, making this our best betting tip.
They have been impressive throughout the season. Expect Carrick Rangers to live up to expectations in this matchup.
Fixture information - Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders
Match: Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders
Competition: NIFL Premiership
Date: Saturday, 03/10/2026
Kick-off: 15:00 (UK time)
Venue: Belfast Loughshore Hotel Arena
More NIFL Premiership predictions
Explore the rest of our NIFL Premiership predictions and keep up with the analysis round by round.
Stats
The statistics for Carrick Rangers vs Crusaders that you will find on this page should help you make well-informed decisions for placing your bets.
Goal Average
3.25
League: 2.65
Both Teams to Score
63%
League: 49%
Over 1.5+
75%
League: 80%
Over 2.5+
63%
League: 51%
Cards
3.75
League: 3.2
Corners
11
League: 9.51
Home Team
Carrick Rangers
Northern Ireland - NIFL Premiership
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall |
L
L
D
L
L
|
1.11 |
| Home |
L
L
L
W
|
0.75 |
| Away |
L
D
L
W
W
|
1.4 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 33% | 25% | 40% |
| Goals | 2.89 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Scored | 1.22 | 1 | 1.4 |
| Conceded | 1.67 | 2.5 | 1 |
| Both Teams to Score | 44% | 50% | 40% |
| Without Conceding | 22% | 25% | 20% |
| Failed To Score | 33% | 25% | 40% |
| first to Score | 0% | 0% | 0% |
|
xG
|
1.4 | 1.62 | 1.18 |
|
xGA
|
1.48 | 1.44 | 1.52 |
Away Team
Crusaders
Northern Ireland - NIFL Premiership
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall |
W
L
W
L
L
|
1.67 |
| Home |
W
W
L
W
W
|
2.4 |
| Away |
L
L
W
L
|
0.75 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 56% | 80% | 25% |
| Goals | 3.22 | 3.4 | 3 |
| Scored | 1.67 | 2.2 | 1 |
| Conceded | 1.56 | 1.2 | 2 |
| Both Teams to Score | 78% | 80% | 75% |
| Without Conceding | 11% | 20% | 0% |
| Failed To Score | 11% | 0% | 25% |
| first to Score | 0% | 0% | 0% |
|
xG
|
0.98 | 1.09 | 0.84 |
|
xGA
|
1.35 | 1.08 | 1.69 |
Corners
9.88 / Match
+24% Corners / Match
Carrick Rangers received +24% more corners than Crusaders in the NIFL Premiership
8 / Match
Glentoran
(4)
Larne
(11)
Ballymena United
(2)
Cliftonville
(8)
Linfield
(2)
Bangor
(4)
Coleraine
(9)(3)
Bangor
(3)
Linfield
(7)
Dungannon Swifts
(4)
Limavady United
(1)
Coleraine
(4)
Glentoran
(3)
Portadown
Cards
2.22 / Match
+42% Cards / Match
Carrick Rangers received +42% more cards than Crusaders in the NIFL Premiership
1.56 / Match
Glentoran
(0)
Larne
(2)
Ballymena United
(2)
Cliftonville
(3)
Linfield
(0)
Bangor
(2)
Coleraine
(2)(3)
Bangor
(0)
Linfield
(3)
Dungannon Swifts
(3)
Limavady United
(2)
Coleraine
(1)
Glentoran
(0)
Portadown
Goals Scored
1.22 / Match
+37%
Crusaders is +37% better in terms of goals scored
1.67 / Match
Glentoran
(0)
Larne
(2)
Ballymena United
(1)
Cliftonville
(1)
Linfield
(0)
Bangor
(4)
Coleraine
(0)(2)
Bangor
(0)
Linfield
(3)
Dungannon Swifts
(1)
Limavady United
(1)
Coleraine
(2)
Glentoran
(3)
Portadown
Goals Conceded
1.67 / Match
+7%
Carrick Rangers condeded +7% more goals than Crusaders
1.56 / Match
Glentoran
(2)
Larne
(5)
Ballymena United
(1)
Cliftonville
(3)
Linfield
(1)
Bangor
(0)
Coleraine
(2)(1)
Bangor
(1)
Linfield
(0)
Dungannon Swifts
(2)
Limavady United
(4)
Coleraine
(1)
Glentoran
(2)
Portadown
NIFL Premiership Standings
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Coleraine
|
9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 22 | 2.44 |
| 2 |
Linfield
|
9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 2.44 |
| 3 |
Larne
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 2.67 |
| 4 |
Crusaders
|
9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 15 | 1.67 |
| 5 |
Glentoran
|
9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 1.44 |
| 6 |
Dungannon Swifts
|
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 1.63 |
| 7 |
Cliftonville
|
9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 1.33 |
| 8 |
Carrick Rangers
|
9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 10 | 1.11 |
| 9 |
Ballymena United
|
8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 1.13 |
| 10 |
Limavady United
|
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 9 | 1.13 |
| 11 |
Bangor
|
9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 19 | -11 | 5 | 0.56 |
| 12 |
Portadown
|
9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 19 | -14 | 1 | 0.11 |
Odds
Hey there! I’m Abhishek Nandwani, one of the voices behind the content at Eagle Predict. Hailing from India's capital, Delhi, I’m not just a football fan – I’m a die-hard Manchester United supporter. With 15 years of experience in the media world, I’ve spent the past three years in the betting world, producing content. When I’m not writing about football betting, you’ll probably catch me glued to football matches and enjoying some good food. For me, Zinedine Zidane is The GOAT! Stay tuned for my reviews – they’re always packed with detailed insights!
