Two teams with two different objectives, Atletico Madrid and Valencia, will face each other on Saturday, just before the international break. Our sportsbook offers the best markets and bonuses in La Liga.
Atletico Madrid: Great Run of Form
Atletico Madrid enters this clash on the back of nine unbeaten games in the Spanish top-flight league. Head Coach Diego Simeone overtook the late Luis Aragones as the coach to have taken charge of Atletico for the highest number of games. Monday’s short 1-0 win against Girona was his 615th game for Los Colchoneros.
Simeone will be pleased that Memphis Depay bagged a brace in the 6-1 victory to Sevilla and hopes he can build on that in this game. His side is sitting third in the standings with 48 points, but a top-four finish is not secured, as Real Sociedad and Betis are breathing down its neck, three and six points behind it, respectively.
The capital outfit’s failure to qualify for either the knockout round of the Champions League or Europa League could actually help it enjoy a strong end to the La Liga campaign. Diego Simeone has agreed to lower his salary at Atletico Madrid from $21.5m-a-year to $17.7m as the club is in a financially difficult moment. He will stay at Atletico until at least 2024.
Angel Correa and Nahuel Molina returned to the squad after serving suspensions, but Reinildo Mandava, Rodrigo De Paul, and Sergio Reguilon remain on the sidelines through injury. Alvaro Morata scored three goals in his last two appearances for the hosts, and if you’re betting online, you should expect him to continue his superb scoring form.
Valencia: Relegation Candidate
Valencia has not played outside of La Liga since the 1986-87 campaign, but it is facing the real prospect of dropping down to the Segunda Division for the 2023-24 season. A disastrous campaign has seen Los Che pick up just 26 points from their 25 matches. They are sitting 17th in the standings, equal on points with the first relegation team, Getafe, and just one point above 19th spot Almeria.
It is now six defeats in eight league games for Valencia, and its fixture list is not getting easier. Ruben Baraja’s side managed to pick up a huge three points last weekend against Osasuna, but we don’t expect the club to make it two wins in a row against Atletico Madrid, so we won’t include it in our soccer picks and parlays.
The six-time Spanish champion has really struggled on its travels this season, picking up only six points. Valencia will again be missing a number of players through injury on Saturday, with Gabriel Paulista, Jose Gaya, Marcos Andre, Edinson Cavani, Nico Gonzalez, and Jaume Domenech ruled out of the match.
Atletico Madrid vs Valencia Head-to-Head
The hosts are the most in-form team in the Spanish top-flight league, being unbeaten in their last nine games, winning seven in the process. They have a brilliant record against Valencia, winning four of the last five encounters.
Atletico Madrid is the second-best defensive side in La Liga this season, with 19 goals allowed in 25 games. On the other side, Valencia won just one game on the road all season long, conceding 16 goals in 12 away games.
The visitors failed to score in each of their last five away games, losing all.
Atletico Madrid vs Valencia Match Information
- Match: Atletico Madrid (14-6-5) vs Valencia (7-5-13)
- Location: Estadio Civitas Metropolitano, Madrid
- Day/Time: Saturday, March 18, 4:00 p.m. ET
- Atletico Madrid vs Valencia Live Stream: fubo.tv
Atletico Madrid vs Valencia Betting Lines
Atletico Madrid vs Valencia Picks and Prediction
Atletico Madrid enters this clash as a heavy favorite, priced at -170 on the three-way moneyline according to the latest soccer odds, while the goal line is set at 2½.
Atletico is currently in impressive form and will fancy its chances of claiming another three points on Saturday. Given Valencia’s poor away record and struggles in the final third, we don’t expect it to find the back of the net. There’s no value backing a home win here, but we will combine the winners’ market and the goals market.
Atletico Madrid is listed at -170 in our Vegas La Liga lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Atletico Madrid, you have a chance to win $59. Valencia is +500, offering a chance to win $500 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Atletico Madrid a 62.96% chance to win, with Valencia at 16.67%.
Atletico Madrid vs Valencia Match Detail
