Spartans and Stranraer finished near neighbours last season -- 2nd and 5th of 10 -- so rank alone splits nothing here. Against the block the other keeps: Spartans takes 1.80 points a game, Stranraer 1.50 -- nothing between them.
Spartans: 46 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season. Stranraer: 46 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season.
The question this step asks
Step one is THE TABLE: rank against rank, and the blocks -- the table cut into a top, middle and bottom block, drawn from last season's final standings. The question is not just where each side stands but how it behaves against the company the other keeps: does it play to rank against the blocks above and below, or come apart?
The two sides
Spartans -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 4th of 10 after 10 games, with 15 points. Last season it finished 2nd of 10 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the top block (1st to 3rd). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 10 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the middle block (4th to 7th). Against that block it has won 10, drew 6, lost 4 of 20 -- 36 points of 60. At home against them: won 6 of 10. Away against them: won 4 of 10.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 5, drew 3, lost 1 of 9 (2.00 a game); against the middle block won 10, drew 6, lost 4 of 20 (1.80 a game); against the bottom block won 7, drew 4, lost 5 of 16 (1.56 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 0, lost 1 of 1 (0.00 a game).
Stranraer -- away
Where it stands
Stands 1st of 10 after 10 games, with 20 points. Last season it finished 5th of 10 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the middle block (4th to 7th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 10 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the top block (1st to 3rd). Against that block it has won 6, drew 3, lost 5 of 14 -- 21 points of 42. At home against them: won 3 of 7. Away against them: won 3 of 7.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 6, drew 3, lost 5 of 14 (1.50 a game); against the middle block won 6, drew 4, lost 6 of 16 (1.38 a game); against the bottom block won 4, drew 7, lost 4 of 15 (1.27 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 0, lost 0 of 1 (3.00 a game).
Built 03:22 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.