Over the last 10 years, only FC Barcelona has been able to win back-to-back La Liga titles. That was one of Atletico Madrid’s main goals for this season, but things aren’t looking good for them. Especially after losing to Real Madrid.
There’s a lot of football to be played, but only a disaster would prevent Los Blancos from reclaiming the throne. According to the latest soccer odds, Real Madrid is offering a -1000 price to win the domestic title.
Spanish La Liga Breakdown
Winning the Derby
I predicted a draw, but Real Madrid had other plans. Los Blancos played host to Atletico Madrid and had no trouble fulfilling their role as betting online favorites. They won 2-0 despite finishing with fewer shots on target
Karim Benzema had a lot to do with that. He returned after missing their UEFA Champions League game against Inter Milan due to injury. The Frenchman opened the can 16 minutes into the game while Marco Asensio scored the second goal. Both scored after receiving an assist from Vinicius Junior.
Real Madrid hasn’t lost in its last nine games. They won all but one and the list includes beating Barcelona, Sevilla and Athletic Club. And no, those weren’t VAR victories. That streak is the reason why they sit in first place with an eight-digit advantage.
Los Blancos are about to become even more dangerous because Gareth Bale is expected to return this weekend. They come in as huge betting online favorites to beat visiting Cadiz at -600. Los Blancos should have no trouble remaining unbeaten at home (6-2-0).
Two Nice Surprises
Atletico Madrid fell to fourth place after losing to Real Madrid. Los Colchoneros won only two of their last five games. Sevilla and Real Betis took advantage of that to climb to second and third place, respectively.
That’s right, Sevilla and Betis are the teams hunting Real Madrid at the top. Most recently, Sevilla visited Bilbao and won 1-0. On the other hand, Betis crushed Real Sociedad 4-0. Besides Real Madrid, Betis is the only team that has won its last four games.
On Saturday, Sevilla will play host to Atletico Madrid in a must-watch game. The home side comes in as the slight favorite at +180. If you were looking for a tempting underdog to include in your soccer picks, Atletico could be the answer.
Believe it or not, Barcelona isn’t in the top five. Los Azulgranas sit in eighth place, five points behind fifth, after not winning any of their last two games. After being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona can’t afford to finish out of the top four.
The Worst
Barcelona isn’t having a good season, but Cadiz, Getafe and Levante are much worse. All three are in the relegation zone and neither has won in their last three games. As if that wasn’t enough, Levante has allowed 32 goals, more than any other team. Cadiz has allowed 31 while Getafe has scored only 11.
Cadiz could get out of the relegation zone by beating Real Madrid, but they would also need some extra help. They need Rayo Vallecano to beat Deportivo Alavés and Barcelona to beat Elche.
Getafe has a more accessible matchup. They’ll play host to Osasuna with Las Vegas odds on their side. They’re offering a +140. You should take it because that won’t happen again anytime soon.
Levante won’t play until Monday. That could be an advantage or additional pressure as well. Curiously enough, they come in as slight favorites against Valencia at +165. Valencia hasn’t lost in its last five games.
Benzema on Top
Benzema is one of the reasons why Real Madrid is having such a great season. The French striker leads the league in scoring with 13 goals, three more than Juanmi Jimenez from Real Betis.
Another reason for Los Blancos to be on top is Junior. He has scored 10 goals. You won’t find a more productive duo in any other European league.
Despite Barcelona’s recent results, Memphis Depay is having a good season. The Dutchman has scored eight goals and is offering a +700 price to win the Golden Boot. Benzema is the clear favorite with a -225 price.
