La Liga Matchday 26 Odds, Picks & Predictions (2023)
Sunday’s El Clasico matchup between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be the latest in the long-running rivalry for the top team in La Liga. The previous night’s La Liga match between third-placed Atletico Madrid and struggling Valencia is unquestionably another intriguing match. Elsewhere, Real Sociedad, who is vying for the Champions League, is also playing, meeting Elche at home in San Sebastian.
Let’s take a closer look at a few of the spots I’m on for this week.
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La Liga Matchday 26 Preview & Best Bets (2023)
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Real Sociedad vs Elche
This weekend, Sociedad will look to defeat La Liga’s bottom team Elche in order to keep Betis, who are now in fifth place, at bay. Based on past performance, they will keep their word on that. In their previous five meetings in the top division, La Real has prevailed over Los Franjiverdes all five times, and a sixth victory would set a new record between the two.
Elche has typically had difficulty traveling to Sociedad, as they have failed to score on four of their last five visits north, losing all five. After what might be a close match early, I expect to Sociedad to separate late.
Pick: Real Sociedad (-120)
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid
The El Clasico on Sunday night is Real Madrid’s last real chance to remain in the title chase as the season winds down, and the gap between the two enlarges at the top. But this weekend, Real Madrid has recent history on its side, as Barca has now lost five of their six matches against Real in La Liga play.
In actuality, Real Madrid has triumphed in each of their last two visits to Camp Nou, and if they can win three straight games, it will be the first time they’ve had a winning streak like that since February 1965. Yet recently, Barcelona has been a strong force in Catalonia. Only Bayern Munich has defeated Xavi’s team at home in their last 17 games across all competitions (12 wins, four draws).
Real will be upbeat going into this game, having destroyed Liverpool 6-2 on the season in the Champions League on Wednesday. With their back against the wall in desperate need of a win to keep pace, I like for Real Madrid to get this one done on the road and pull within six points of their arch-rival.
Pick: Real Madrid (+230)
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