It’s been a great start for La Liga 2021 as we cashed another ticket last week with Real Madrid securing a 2-1 victory over Valencia. As the weeks go by, however, the lines get tighter as books adjust on edges, and we must go deeper down the table to find value.
This week, we’re steering clear of the Real Madrid and Barca’s of the table, as a Saturday match has caught my eye.
Let’s take a closer look.
All odds noted courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
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Saturday
Sevilla vs. Espanyol, 10:15 AM EST
With three wins and two draws through five matches, Sevilla has picked up right where they left off in a 2021 season that saw them finish #4 on the table just behind Barcelona. Through their five matches this year, Sevilla has scored eight goals while allowing just two, the lowest in La Liga.
In their toughest test of the season last week vs. Valencia, Sevilla rose to the occasion slotting home three goals to win the match 3-1 to put themselves firmly in 3rd place on the table. Led by keeper Yassine Bounou, this Sevilla team is a nightmare to slot goals on with a backline that’s one of the best in La Liga.
On the other side of this match-up, Espanyol comes into the season after being relegated for the last, finishing dead last on the table in 2019-20 with a record of 5-10-23. As would be expected, the team is once again struggling out of the gates with a current record of 1-3-2 and a goal differential of -1.
However, they come into this one off of their first win in La Liga since 2019, knocking off Deportivo Alaves 1-0 last week at home. The quality of the win is where I find the edge in this one, as Alaves has started this season 0-0-5, scoring just one goal along the way.
In this one, I look for the superior team in Sevilla to put a couple away early and play possession for much of the match.
Pick: Sevilla -165
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Johnny Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Johnny, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.