6 Expert Picks
Elche love dragging teams down to their scrappy level. ...
Real Sociedad matches have been going crazy! ...
Real Madrid have covered this over in their last five matches. ...
Real Madrid should win even with rotations. ...
Barcelona's injury list is getting worrisome. ...
Celta Vigo are pushing for a top six finish. ...
Seems a very fair price on Espanyol DNB considering it sits two points higher in the La Liga table than Getafe. I don't always bet teams sitting higher but on a Draw No Bet number like this it seems prudent. We are getting a discount because the hosts are struggling, but they won the reverse fixture 1-0 in mid-December. Getafe has been blanked in three of its past six overall. Starting defender Abdelkabir Abqar (great James Bond villain name) is suspended. Only bottom-of-table Real Oviedo has scored fewer goals than Getafe. Espanyol can score, it just can't defend much. Probably pushes.
Villarreal continue to be one of the more complicated teams to get reads on in LaLiga play. The team looked unbeatable for the first 18 matchdays, then fell apart for a couple months, and no appear to be back in action as they fight for a UCL finish. While Villarreal is finding their form again and have won three of their last five, Alaves are in a free fall. They're now 16th on the table after failing to win any of their last six matches, and are just two points ahead of the relegation zone. Alaves have upcoming matches they can win, this is not one of them.
Draw No Bet would have been nice, but that's -300. Espanyol closed 2025 red-hot but has struggled so far in the New Year to fall out of European spots in La Liga, sitting seventh in the table. However, Oviedo is last in La Liga by far with 17 points as well bottom in scoring (16 goals) and goal differential (minus-27). The Carbayones have a single league away win. I thought about Under 2.5. Meanwhile, the Parakeets won the reverse fixture 2-0 in October on second-half goals from Enrique GarcÃa and Pere Milla.
Pretty fair price on Draw No Bet. They are right next to each other in La Liga, not too far from the relegation zone. Alaves has managed just eight points in 13 league away matches and is winless in its past five in all competitions. Valencia enters having won two of three. It just hasn't won in this series since August 2021. Overdue then. The visitors have two defenders suspended.
Mallorca’s players could be low on confidence after losing their last four games. They’re now in the relegation zone, and they could drop down to Segunda Division next season. Mallorca have struggled on the road throughout the campaign, losing 10 out of 13 away games. That doesn’t bode well for a trip to Pamplona to face a strong Osasuna team. Osasuna are 10th in the table, 9 points clear of Mallorca. They’ve been strong at home this season, with seven wins, three draws, and just two defeats from 12 matches. That’s the sixth-best home record in La Liga, so Osasuna really should get the better of Mallorca this weekend.
This is a must-win game for Real Madrid. Los Blancos are now 4 points behind title rivals Barcelona after losing their last two matches. The players left the field to a chorus of boos following a damaging 1-0 home defeat to Getafe at the weekend. They will be desperate to bounce back with a win, so they should be fired up for this away game against Celta Vigo. Real Madrid lost 2-0 to Celta earlier this season, but they had three players sent off in that match. They won their previous 11 games against Celta, and normal order should be restored on Friday.
Real Madrid currently sit atop the La Liga table, two points clear of Barcelona, after picking up eight consecutive victories in league play. Real Madrid have won four of the past five meetings against Osasuna, and I'm backing Los Blancos to secure all three points on the road. Real Madrid is widely known for their attacking prowess, but the backline has conceded just 19 goals in league play, the fewest in the league.
I believe that this line will close around -200. We're getting a good line right now because Real Madrid do have a UCL fixture before this match that is going to take some of their energy and test the limits of their players as they play Benfica. The reason I'm still taking this is due to Espanyol's brutal form right now. They played so well for so long but have seemingly hit their limit. They've lost four of their last five, and drew the fifth. I think even if Real Madrid rotate, needing points in the title race, they'll win.
Rayo Vallecano have had a rough go of it this season as they are barely treading water above the relegation zone right now. While they haven't been great, they just beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 entering this matchday and looked leagues above them somehow. That little bit of confidence, combined with with a desperate need for points means they'll be pressing. Real Betis are one of the best attacks in LaLiga, and I'm expecting BTTS and the over to hit once more.