Sevilla is three points and six spots higher in the La Liga table than Osasuna, which has dropped its past three league away matches by a combined score of 14-4. Sevilla has been just OK on home pitch but hasn't played a league match there since way back on Sept. 16. It won at home in this series last season, 1-0.

I'd definitely like to see an El Clasico in person before I leave this earth but guess that would mean I'd have to actually like leave my couch and board an airplane. Sounds unlikely but maybe some opportunity presents itself. Barca is yet to lose in La Liga and has an incredible plus-30 goal differential in those nine wins. It has won 23 straight home domestic matches. Real Madrid is without superstar Vinicius Junior due to suspension and No. 1 goalie Thibault Courtois due to illness. I am a bit worried about a draw so just a half. Amazingly, both clubs have won 106 of their 264 competitive El Clasicos.

I truly love my job. Like talking to you folks on Discord, and it gets me out of so many yard duties. My wife is out bagging leaves and mentioned something about a rabid raccoon bite, and I'm like sorry gotta research La Liga. I may need a divorce lawyer soon. Or a yard guy. Perhaps both. I think this draws 1-1, which is basically what the model has, but will take our chances on the home side. If you see me bet a draw on here, I have hit my head. But not in the yard ....

Two very evenly matched bad teams on Monday, but Getafe is unbeaten in five at home this season in all competitions. Rayo is on a four-game winless away streak in the league. Six of the past 10 in this series have ended in a draw -- none in a Getafe win. But the +0.25 number has been covered by Getafe in six consecutive games at home overall. This smells like a 1-1 draw, which is essentially what the model has.

If you had bet me even 24 months ago that I'd be fretting a La Liga match on a Friday afternoon, well, I'd be out a fair amount of money on that wager. Now this Friday 3 PM soccer is my gateway to the weekend as those Cubs matinees were during the summer. I would utterly murder this number normally, but now I see why the better team is getting a fairly decent price at DNB: Leading scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (5 goals) is out. I went and looked at U3.5 but expensive. Still think Deportivo has the home edge so will go ahead and risk the DNB but cautiously. Without DNB? No. If DNB ever becomes sentient, I am asking it out ...

Since Europe came back online, so to speak, it's weird how the books have been incredibly stingy on DNB prices. Unusable for the most part so it's nice to get a reasonable number for this La Liga match, although now I'm wondering what they know that I don't. Not seeing any additional injuries for Santander, which is three points better in the table than Valencia. The visitors have allowed the first goal in five of the past six outings.

Man, it is weird how much I have missed Euro soccer. I want to say a lot here, but let's be honest: It's mostly having an afternoon reason to care. I believe this draws and that's just fine for these purposes. The first games back from European competition, it's just never sure who is available. It seems the visitors have a lot more issues there, but my Spanish is about College 101: Lapiz.

Will spin today's Real Betis win into Friday's La Liga match. Espanyol is about mid-table with two wins and a draw in six league matches, while Roberto Fernández has been stellar with six goals -- one more than his team has given up. Elche is last in the table with just two points and a minus-8 goal differential. It has been scored upon in each match and allowed a league-high 16 goals. The hosts are unbeaten in the past six meetings; they drew at Elche, 2-2, in the last in March. Sadly, DNB is too expensive.

Led by Rodrigo Riquelme's two goals, Real Betis is near the top of the La Liga table with four wins and a loss. It is unbeaten at home, including a win over Real Madrid. Pretty healthy as well, while Getafe has some injury concerns and it is near bottom table with just five points and only three goals scored -- all on home pitch. The visitors have taken only two of the past 11 in the series and per usual I think only a draw gets us.

Probably does end in a draw but Deportivo is unbeaten in its return to the top flight in Spain (two wins, three draws). Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been awesome with five goals. It's the side's first meeting with Sevilla since 2018. Starting Sevilla defender Arouna Sangante is out, while the hosts are fully healthy. No player for the visitors has more than one goal. Deportivo have not beaten Sevilla in the league since October 2009 but hopefully that changes today. I thought about Under 2.5 but such a good DNB price.

Alaves sits a surprising third in La Liga with 10 points through five matches and unbeaten in three at home, outscoring foes 9-2. Bottom-table Valencia has been the worst team in Spain and just sacked coach Carlos Corberán and chief executive officer Ron Gourlay. The club's B team manager Oscar Sanchez is running the show for now. Los Ché have scored one goal and conceded 10 in five La Liga matches without a win. Alaves is unbeaten in the past seven at home in this series.

Everything is relative. This is our lowest DNB number by 40 cents for Friday's match, and I believe it should be -300. Value is value, and I don't see the home team losing barring some Bird Box 3: Sevilla nonsense. The hosts have one loss in four La Liga matches, while winless and banged-up Valencia is last in the table with a minus-8 goal differential (one total scored). You are probably fine taking Los Nervionenses moneyline at +105ish, but this is just how I operate in soccer. It's like you put $20 somewhere and forgot all about it. Then you go fishing for a lost sock and find it. This most likely isn't losing and a win is a found sock/$20 combo.

Solid cash in La Liga today with Alaves. For Monday, the visitors are without two projected regulars in the midfield in Stefan Bajcetic and Aleix Fabas. As it is, Celta Vigo is winless in four (two draws) with a single goal. Getafe owns a home win in three total matches.

Both sides are unbeaten in three La Liga matches (two wins and a draw apiece), but Alaves is +4 in goal differential and Osasuna, which I really just like saying, is at +2. Do I somewhat think this draws? They drew at Alaves last year and kinda expect the same, but that's the beauty of DNB. I've decided that I just am not capable of wagering to draw. Not my cup of tea. Both squads seemed to get weaker via the transfer market -- the first games after that closes are always a bit tricky.

It's hard to explain how much DNB influences me in soccer now -- basically how I use -1 in the NHL. I'd rather pay a fair amount more for that draw insurance. And this number is still a good 40 cents lower than some other books on Real Sociedad for Thursday in La Liga. In 12 league games at home under American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo (not a tenor with that moniker?), Real Sociedad has just two defeats and drew in one this year. Celta de Vigo hasn't looked good with an opening scoreless away draw and then back-to-back home losses -- a single goal scored thus far by Iago Aspas. Sociedad won 3-1 at home in the series last season (drew away).