The Royal Challengers Bangalore take on the Gujarat Lions in the 31st game of the 2017 edition of the Vivo Indian Premier League and it's a game that's important for both sides. Very important, in fact.

A look at the points table tells you how a defeat for either side in this match could pull the curtains down on their campaign this season and we are just about half-way through the league stage of this edition of the IPL.

Bangalore have five points from eight matches, Gujarat have just four from seven and even by conservative estimates, a team needs at least 14 points and a very healthy net run-rate to qualify for the playoffs.

What that means is that Bangalore are nine points short of that minimum 14-point figure and they have six games to do that while Gujarat need 10 from seven.

A loss for either would mean they are left with a lot to do over their final few games and in all probability would end up crashing out of the tournament.

Interestingly, both sides, the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Gujarat Lions have a batting line-up to dazzle. On the one hand are Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, all of whom can win matches regularly on their own.

On the other, the Lions have Suresh Raina, Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch and Dwayne Smith, some of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball. And yet, the sides have struggled badly.

While Bangalore's much vaunted batting hasn't really clicked, Gujarat have struggled with their bowling. A big knock is expected from captain Kohli while Gujarat need to get their bowling combination right, that includes bringing in both Andrew Tye and James Faulkner.

The big question now is which team would be able to overcome their issues and register a win here. Bangalore, playing at home, might have that edge but they will need to play really well to get back their fans' trust who have been awaiting a long time.

Bangalore are coming off a rained-off last game while Gujarat went down in their previous encounter.

Where to watch the Royal Challengers Bangalore v Gujarat Lions match live stream?

If you are in India, you can watch the RCB v GL match live on Sony ESPN while the online stream can be viewed at HotStar.com. In the UK, this match can be watched on Sky Sports and Sky Sports HD while cricket fans in the USA can use their subscription with Willow.TV to watch it online.

RCB v GL predictions

Back Bangalore to win in this game. We are expecting a highest score in the game to be less than 72.5.
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