Soccer Odds: La Liga Matchday 1 Preview

Spanish Soccer Season Kicks Off on Friday

Real Madrid and Barcelona Expected to Win Big

Real Madrid dominated La Liga last season but is expected to face some stiff competition in 2022-23. A revamped Barcelona is expected to mount a title challenge and we’ll see both teams in action as La Liga kicks off this weekend. There are plenty of other reasons to be excited about the new season. We’ll get to watch newly promoted teams and a bunch of new players with impact potential. The top four battles could also be one of the most competitive in recent memory. Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s review some of the matchups and odds from La Liga Matchday 1.

Osasuna vs Sevilla

The first match of La Liga Matchday 1 is expected to be one of the most competitive matches of the weekend. Osasuna host Sevilla on Friday in a season-opening pick’em that’s expected to be a low-scoring contest. That’s despite the fact that Sevilla is playing their first competitive match without former starting center backs Diego Carlos and Jules Kounde. Over two is implied to be more likely than the under, at -125 odds.

Osasuna’s leading scorer from last season, Ante Budimir, is also expected to miss this La Liga matchup through injury. No other Osasuna player found the back of the net more than six times in La Liga in 2021-22. The odds board shows Osasuna +215, Sevilla +145, and a draw at +215 as well.

Sevilla brought in some defensive reinforcements in the Summer, in the form of Brazilians Marcao and Alex Telles. Former Real Madrid man Isco adds some attacking creativity to a team that struggled to score at times last year. Interestingly, Sevilla is priced at 230 to score under 1½ goals, while Osasuna shows -215 odds to score.

Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano

Barcelona has had the busiest offseason of any of La Liga’s top clubs which makes this match a must-watch. The board backed Xavi and emerged from their financial crisis by making a bunch of new signings. Robert Lewandowski, the former Bayern Munich destroyer, is expected to make his debut on Saturday. We could also see Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie, and Andreas Christensen make their debuts.

La Liga betting odds price new look Barcelona at whopping -525 odds to defeat Rayo Vallecano at the Camp Nou. This was a trap game last season for Barcelona as Rayo defeated them 1-0 in both meetings. FCB is a two-goal favorite but three of the last four La Liga meetings have been decided by a goal or ended in a draw.

Despite being undefeated in this fixture last season, Rayo is +1300 underdogs and a draw shows +625 odds. Over three goals are priced at -130 and bettors seem to be bullish on Barça’s chances to score goals. Barcelona over 2½ is listed at -125 and with options like Lewandowski, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Raphinha up front, it’s easy to see why.

Almeria vs Real Madrid

Almeria is back in La Liga for the first time since 2015 and they’re getting thrown into the deep end. Their La Liga Matchday 1 opponents are defending champions and European champions Real Madrid. It would only be natural to expect an inexperienced and youthful Almeria side to take some time to adjust to the rigors of the league.

The average age of Almeria’s eight Summer signings is just under 21; however, they did win La Liga 2 last season and are expected to avoid relegation in 2022-23. Still, they’re +600 underdogs vs. Real Madrid on Sunday and haven’t beaten Los Blancos since 2008.

Real Madrid’s roster is just as strong as last season’s group and they’re priced at -250 to win their opener. Almeria is implied to be more likely to cover the 1½-goal spread, though, at -135. Note that Real won 13 of their 19 La Liga away matches last season. Anything less than three points for them would be a disappointing start to their title defense.

Getafe vs Atletico Madrid

The only La Liga team other than Real Madrid and Barcelona to win the La Liga title in the last 18 years is Atletico Madrid. Atletico finished in third place last season but is looking to win their second championship in three years. They’ll head on the road to face Getafe on Sunday.

Atletico has reasons to be excited for this season, with Antoine Griezmann back on loan and a couple of key signings. Axel Witsel is a presence in the center of the park and should immediately improve Atleti. Meanwhile, the versatile Nahuel Molina can play either fullback position. Perhaps even Alvaro Morata, who spent two years on loan at Juventus, can rediscover his form.

Getafe lost to Atletico in both fixtures last season and hasn’t beaten Atleti since 2011. Still, Atletico is a ½-goal favorite and priced at just -110 odds to win. A draw, which has only occurred in one of the last 16 meetings, sits at +225 odds. Meanwhile, Getafe, who finished 15th last season, are +360 underdogs. In any case, our La Liga betting preview recommends this as the most intriguing match to bet on the Monday slate.

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