La Liga Matchday 24 Odds: Barcelona Slip Up
Betis Host Madrid in “Real” Matchup
Barcelona Slip Up
Barcelona lost for the first time since October as Almeria pulled off a 1-0 upset win on Sunday. Without star midfielder Pedri for a couple more weeks, Real Madrid have an opportunity to close the seven-point gap further. In La Liga Matchday 24’s match of the week, Real Madrid head to Real Betis, holders of La Liga’s longest current winning streak. Fifth-placed Betis will try to make it four in a row on Sunday but it certainly won’t be easy.
Match of the Week
Real Betis vs Real Madrid
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This match certainly stands out on the schedule for La Liga matches this weekend. Defending champions Real Madrid head down to Seville for a blockbuster clash vs. Real Betis. Betis have been scoring a ton of goals in recent weeks, averaging 2.75 goals in their last four matches. All football fans know about the dangers that Real Madrid pose as well, with Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema up top. In a matchup between two top-class offenses, over 2½ goals show -120 odds.
Real Madrid also enter Sunday’s match as ½-goal road favorites and come in at -130 ATS and moneyline odds. Real won the reverse fixture, 2-1, and are unbeaten in the last five meetings.
Two of those matches have been draws and another sits at +285 odds. Real Betis got some bad news following their 3-2 win vs. Elche as attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir tore his ACL. Sergio Canales figures to get more time going forward but he’s also been ruled out of Sunday’s match.
Hosts Betis show +110 ATS odds and just +345 odds to win the match. While Betis are short in a key area, Real Madrid will be missing midfielder Luka Modric due to suspension. He will be missed but Los Blancos have plenty of players capable of filling in. However, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo missed the 1-1 Madrid Derby draw over the weekend.
Teenager Alvaro got his first-ever Real goal on a header to preserve a point. Something working against Madrid in this fixture is the fact that they take on Barcelona on Thursday in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg. Carlo Ancelotti may have to rotate his squad a fair bit as a result.
Top-Four Teams in Action
Real Sociedad vs Cadiz
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Real Sociedad’s 2023 started off excellently but February was certainly not their best month. They went just 1-1-2 in La Liga and failed to win both of their home matches. Last Saturday, Sociedad lost to a Valencia side that hadn’t won since November. Now, third-placed Sociedad host Cadiz, who have won three of their last five matches. Cadiz were previously in the relegation zone but have moved up to 16th after defeating Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
Now, the La Liga Matchday 24 odds price Sociedad as one-goal favorites for Friday’s match. Real Sociedad enter the match at -115 odds to cover and -200 odds to win. Sociedad have certainly enjoyed this fixture lately, with wins in the last five meetings.
Four of those, including the 1-0 win in the reverse fixture, were shutouts. Cadiz +1 comes in at -105 odds, while the visitors sit at +650 odds to get their first win vs. Real Sociedad since 1993. If forward Brian Ocampo misses a second straight match, things may be even more complicated for Cadiz. Sergi, who scored the game winner vs. Rayo, also got subbed off with an injury and is day-to-day.
Since Cadiz got promoted back to La Liga in 2020, they haven’t so much as picked up a point vs. Real Sociedad. Still, bettors can take a draw at +305 odds here.
Sociedad have only lost consecutive matches in La Liga once this season and it’s expected to stay that way. Especially if David Silva returns from a calf injury on Friday. Midfielder Mikel Merino is also La Liga’s joint-leader in assists. Quite a few goals are expected in this match, as over two goals display -145 odds.
Atletico Madrid vs Sevilla
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Atletico Madrid came away from the Santiago Bernabeu with a hard-fought point on Saturday. Diego Simeone’s side played with ten men for the majority of the second half but still managed to score first before Real Madrid equalized.
Diego Simeone’s side has been excellent on defense lately and it’s Sevilla’s turn to try to break them down on Saturday. However, Sevilla are in the midst of their most disappointing season in quite a while. They enter the weekend in 14th place but did manage to advance to the Europa League round of 16.
The Spanish La Liga betting odds list Atletico as ½-goal favorites vs. Sevilla and they show both -130 ATS and moneyline odds. Marcos Llorente and Alvaro Morata both scored as Atletico defeated Sevilla back in October.
Despite that Atletico triumph, this has been an incredibly draw-heavy fixture in recent seasons. Five of the last nine meetings have finished all square and another draw displays +250 odds. Sevilla also conceded three times in a loss to Osasuna last Sunday and Atletico will fancy their chances to get on the scoresheet for an eighth straight La Liga match.
Both teams are missing players due to suspensions and Atletico picked up an untimely injury vs. Real Madrid. Defender Nahuel Molina and forward Angel Correa are out suspended for Atletico, while defender Reinildo tore his ACL vs. Real. Still, Sevilla’s odds to win the match are at just +405. Sevilla +½ also sits at +110 odds but midfielder Fernando is out suspended.
Simeone may have to move over Jose Gimenez to replace Reinildo at left back but Atletico’s defense can still be solid. They’ve conceded just twice in their last five games and none of those matches have gone over two goals. Still, over two goals are priced at -140 odds for Saturday’s match.
Barcelona vs Valencia
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Fresh off their first defeat in La Liga since October, Barcelona need to pick the pieces up quickly. Xavi’s side also crashed out of the Europa League last week by losing 4-3 to Manchester United, on aggregate. This is uncharted territory for Barça, as it’s the first time they’ve lost consecutive matches all season. They are undefeated at home in La Liga, though, and have a favorable matchup vs. Valencia on Sunday. The La Liga Matchday 24 odds list Barcelona as one-goal favorites.
Barcelona sit at -130 odds to cover the spread and -215 odds to get a fifth straight win vs. Valencia. Notably, both teams have scored in four of the last five meetings, which have typically been high-scoring. Unsurprisingly, over 2½ goals come in at -120 odds here. While midfielder Pedri may be out, Xavi can call on La Liga’s leading scorer, Robert Lewandowski, up top.
He’s led a Barcelona attack that has scored nearly two goals per game this season. Meanwhile, Barcelona have only conceded eight La Liga goals all season. Last Sunday, Almeria became the first team to add to that tally since Barcelona conceded on February 1st vs. Real Betis.
Struggling Valencia may have won on Matchday 23 but they’re still in the relegation zone. They’ve been dreadful over the last few months and haven’t won on the road since October. With that in mind, the visitors display just +600 odds to win the match and +110 odds to cover. Plus, Valencia’s center backs Jose Gaya and Gabriel Paulista are dealing with injuries that could keep them out on Sunday. Anything less than a win for league-leaders Barcelona won’t be celebrated but a draw does come in at +350 odds.
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