This Spanish La Liga round starts with a clash between Getafe and Malaga on Friday, January 12th, 2018, while on Saturday and Sunday we will see some exciting matches including a battle between Real Madrid and Villarreal at Santiago Bernabeu. The closing game is set for Monday, January 15th, 2018, when Betis welcomes Leganes at Benito Villamarin.
GETAFE vs. MALAGA
3-Way: 1: Getafe -132; X: +252 Draw; 2: Malaga +426 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Getafe -133; Malaga +113
Total +2: Over -148; Under +124
GETAFE
The Deep Blues started the year with a 2:0 defeat against Atletico Madrid on the road, and it was their sixth consecutive La Liga match without goals on both sides, recording two wins, one draw, and three defeats in the process. Getafe is in the 11th spot of the table at the moment with 23 points and a 22:18 goal difference, eight points above the relegation zone.
Injuries and suspensions: Markel Bergara (meniscus), Djene (yellow card suspension)
Head-to-head: In the previous eight H2H meetings both teams recorded four wins each, every single time on the home soil. Five of these eight encounters were ended in a 1:0 home win.
MALAGA
The Anchovies suffered the third defeat in a row, losing to Espanyol 1:0 at home in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, while they couldn’t find the net in four out of the last five La Liga matches. Malaga is currently in the 19th spot of the table with 11 points, same as Las Palmas at the bottom, and five points behind Deportivo La Coruna in the safe 17th spot.
Injuries and suspensions: Juankar (knee), Adrian Gonzalez (hamstring), Miguel Torres (muscular problems, doubtful)
Getafe vs. Malaga – Match Prediction
The Deep Blues are favorites in this one, but Malaga just have to get a positive result, so I believe we’ll get an entertaining game with at least one goal on both sides.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (+112)
GIRONA vs. LAS PALMAS
3-Way: 1: Girona -130; X: +283 Draw; 2: Las Palmas +363 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Girona -132; Las Palmas +112
Total +2.5: Over -137; Under +112
GIRONA
After two consecutive defeats against Eibar (4:1), and Valencia (2:1), both times on the road, Girona has dropped to the 13th spot of the La Liga table with 23 points and a 22:28 goal difference. Now, they are facing the worst team in the league in front of the home fans, so a positive result looks like an imperative.
Injuries and suspensions: Pedro Alcala (ankle), Marc Muniesa (malleolar)
Head-to-head: So far, these two clubs played against each other only in La Liga 2, and Las Palmas won the previous five matches, scoring at least two goals on all five occasions.
LAS PALMAS
La UD suffered another defeat in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, losing 2:1 to Eibar at home, even they had a lead after the first 45 minutes, as Jonathan Viera converted the penalty kick. It was their second defeat in a row, third in the last five La Liga matches along with a 1:0 victory over Betis, and a 2:2 draw with Espanyol. Las Palmas is still at the bottom of the La Liga table with 11 points and a 14:40 goal difference.
Injuries and suspensions: Sergi Samper (malleolar), Michel (muscle), Pedro Bigas (knee, doubtful)
Girona vs. Las Palmas – Match Prediction
With all problems in their heads and with their defensive work, I believe Las Palmas cannot keep their net intact against Girona, so I’m backing the over in this one.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 Goals (-137)
REAL MADRID vs. VILLARREAL
3-Way: 1: Real Madrid -400; X: +577 Draw; 2: Villarreal +881 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -2: Real Madrid +109; Villarreal -125
Total +3.5: Over -137; Under +112
REAL MADRID
Los Blancos started 2018 with a disappointing 2:2 stalemate against Celta Vigo on the road, while in the last five La Liga rounds they’ve recorded two wins, two draws and a 3:0 defeat against Barcelona on the home soil. Zinedine Zidane’s boys are now in the fourth spot of the table, 16 points behind Barca on the top, and seven points behind their city rival Atletico Madrid in the second spot, so it seems like they will give over the La Liga trophy at the end of the season.
Injuries and suspensions: Karim Benzema (hamstring), Sergio Ramos (muscle)
Head-to-head: Los Blancos won two out of the previous five H2H meetings, two of them were finished in a 1:1 draw and Villarreal earned one victory on the home soil.
VILLARREAL
The Yellow Submarine had a brilliant finish of 2017, recording two victories on the road over Valencia and Celta Vigo, but they upset their fans at the start of 2018 with a 1:1 draw against Deportivo La Coruna. They are currently in the sixth spot of the La Liga table with 28 points and a 25:21 goal difference, four points behind their next rival.
Injuries and suspensions: Andres Fernandez (knee), Ruben Semedo (muscle), Nicola Sansone (calf), Roberto Soriano (knee), Victor Ruiz (yellow card suspension)
Real Madrid vs. Villarreal – Match Prediction
The visitors will play without their defensive rock Victor Ruiz, so I think Real Madrid could finally get a convincing win, particularly after a poor performance against Celta Vigo in the previous round.
MY PICK: Real Madrid AH -2 (+109)
EIBAR vs. ATLETICO MADRID
3-Way: 1: Eibar +316; X: +231 Draw; 2: Atletico Madrid -103 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +0.5: Eibar -111; Atletico Madrid -101
Total +2: Over -120; Under +103
EIBAR
The Gunsmiths have beaten Las Palmas 2:1 on the road in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga to record their third straight win, sixth in the last seven La Liga matches along with a nil-nil draw at Getafe. They are now sitting at the seventh spot of the table with 27 points and a 24:30 goal difference, just one point behind Villarreal in the sixth spot which leads to the UEFA Europa League next season.
Injuries and suspensions: Fran Rico (knee), Pedro Leon (knee), David Junca (muscle), Ivan Ramis (muscle), Anaitz Arbilla (yellow card suspension)
Head-to-head: In the last eight H2H tilts Atletico Madrid won seven times, while one match at Ipurua was finished in a 2:2 stalemate.
ATLETICO MADRID
Atleti earned a 2:0 victory at home over Getafe in the previous round, while they scored seven goals against the third tier side Lleida in two legs of the Spanish Copa del Rey. They are currently in the second spot of the La Liga table with 39 points and a 27:8 goal difference, nine points behind the leader Barcelona, so they will have to look for three points against Eibar this Saturday.
Injuries and suspensions: Nico Gaitan (muscle), Filipe Luis (hamstring), Gabi (yellow card suspension), Stefan Savic (yellow card suspension), Diego Costa (red card suspension)
Eibar vs. Atletico Madrid – Match Prediction
Eibar is playing brilliantly in the last couple of months, and they’ve won four consecutive matches on the home soil, so their self-confidence could be an advantage, but I think the visitors will take a patient approach to get another ugly win.
MY PICK: Atletico Madrid to Win (-103)
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA vs. VALENCIA
3-Way: 1: Deportivo La Coruna +204; X: +250 Draw; 2: Valencia +131 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Deportivo La Coruna +123; Valencia -142
Total +2.5: Over -137; Under +114
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA
Depor has earned an important 1:1 draw at Villarreal in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, but they are still sitting at the 17th spot of the table with 16 points and a 20:35 goal difference, just one point ahead of Alaves in the 18th spot. At home, Deportivo won just one out of the last five matches along with three losses and one draw.
Injuries and suspensions: Federico Cartabia (muscular problems)
Head-to-head: Valencia won two out of the last five H2H duels, while the other three were ended in a 1:1 draw. Depor’s last victory over Valencia was at home three seasons ago, 3:0.
VALENCIA
The Bats have beaten Girona 2:1 at Mestalla last weekend to record their second victory in the last five La Liga matches along with three losses. They are currently in the third place of the La Liga table with 37 points and a 38:18 goal difference, while on the road, they’ve suffered two losses in a row against Getafe (1:0), and Eibar (2:1).
Injuries and suspensions: Jeison Murillo (osteitis pubis), Carlos Soler (malleolar), Andreas Pereira (yellow card suspension), Geoffrey Kondogbia (yellow card suspension)
Deportivo La Coruna vs. Valencia – Match Prediction
Both teams are struggling in the last couple of rounds, so this clash is quite important, and none of these two teams can afford to lose it. Therefore, I expect to see a tight match, probably with a draw in the end, as Valencia will miss some vital players in their midfield.
MY PICK: Draw (+250)
LEVANTE vs. CELTA VIGO
3-Way: 1: Levante +222; X: +233 Draw; 2: Celta Vigo +127 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +0.5: Levante -151; Celta Vigo +128
Total +2.5: Over -105; Under -112
LEVANTE
The Frogs are in crisis and they haven’t recorded a win in the Spanish La Liga for six games in a row, earning just three draws in the process. They are sitting at the 16th spot of the table with 18 points and a 15:25 goal difference, three points above the relegation zone. The Frogs have scored just one goal in the last five La Liga clashes, so the match with Celta Vigo is the perfect chance to improve their record.
Injuries and suspensions: Ivan Lopez (knee), Alex Alegria (knee), Chema (muscle, doubtful)
Head-to-head: In the last six H2H meetings Celta Vigo recorded five wins, while Levante earned one victory four seasons ago.
CELTA VIGO
The Sky Blues started a new year with a magnificent 2:2 draw against Real Madrid in front of the home fans, but after Espanyol’s victory they’ve dropped to the 15th place of the La Liga table with 22 points and a 32:27 goal difference, just seven points above the danger zone. On the road, Celta Vigo recorded only one win in the previous five matches, while they couldn’t keep the clean sheet for six games in a row away from home.
Injuries and suspensions: All players are ready to go.
Levante vs. Celta Vigo – Match Prediction
The Frogs are goalless in the last three matches, so they will try to find the net in front of the home fans. On the other side will be Celta’s fragile defense and quite a lethal attack, so I think my pick is pretty reasonable.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-135)
ALAVES vs. SEVILLA
3-Way: 1: Alaves +229; X: +239 Draw; 2: Sevilla +121 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +0.5: Alaves -143; Sevilla +122
Total +2.5: Over -100; Under -121
ALAVES
The Glorious One was beaten 2:0 by Athletic Bilbao in the previous round, but after three wins in the last five matches Alaves is laying at the 18th spot of the La Liga table with 15 points, a 13:27 goal difference and a 5-0-13 record, still in the danger zone, but just one point behind Deportivo La Coruna in the safe 17th spot. They’ve won the previous two matches on the home soil against Malaga (1:0), and Las Palmas (2:0), so the clash with Sevilla should be the real test of their abilities.
Injuries and suspensions: Hector Hernandez (malleolar), Carlos Vigaray (knee), Alexis (yellow card suspension)
Head-to-head: In the previous ten years these two teams had just two meetings, both last season when Sevilla won at home, 2:1, while it was a 1:1 draw at Mendizorrotza.
SEVILLA
Sevilla suffered a painful 5:3 defeat against their city rival Betis last weekend, so they will look for a redemption with a win against Alaves on the road. They lost three out of the last four La Liga matches, along with a nil-nil draw against Levante at home, so their fans are more than frustrated. Sevilla is currently in the fifth spot of the La Liga table with 29 points and a poor 23:27 goal difference, while they were awful on the road with a 3-0-6 record and a 7:19 goal difference.
Injuries and suspensions: Daniel Carrico (muscle), Nicolas Pareja (osteitis pubis)
Alaves vs. Sevilla – Match Prediction
Sevilla is a far better team on a paper, but they are also pretty unpredictable throughout the season, so I should skip this match. However, I will go with a draw just because Alaves still haven’t drawn this season, while Sevilla is without a stalemate on the road.
MY PICK: Draw (+239)
ESPANYOL vs. ATHLETIC BILBAO
3-Way: 1: Espanyol +160; X: +211 Draw; 2: Athletic Bilbao +192 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Espanyol -120; Athletic Bilbao +108
Total +2.5: Over -126; Under +109
ESPANYOL
Espanyol recorded their second consecutive victory beating Malaga 1:0 on the road, and now they are in the 14th spot of the La Liga table with 23 points and a 15:21 goal difference, eight points above the relegation zone. With seven goals in 18 La Liga appearances, Gerard Moreno is arguably Espanyol’s best player this season, while the Magical’s attack is one of the most inefficient in the league.
Injuries and suspensions: Javi Fuego (yellow card suspension), David Lopez (yellow card suspension)
Head-to-head: In the last two seasons Espanyol won one H2H duel, Athletic Bilbao was victorious two times, while one clash was ended in a nil-nil draw.
ATHLETIC BILBAO
The Lions are finally playing like their fans expect from them, recording three wins and one draw in the last four La Liga matches, while they’ve kept the clean sheet in the previous three rounds. They are sitting at the eighth spot of the La Liga table at the moment with 24 points and a 20:19 goal difference, four points behind Villarreal in the sixth spot. On the road, the Lions are unbeaten for three games in a row, recording two wins in the process against Betis and Levante, and a draw with Deportivo La Coruna.
Injuries and suspensions: Iker Muniain (knee), Mikel Balenziaga (muscle)
Espanyol vs. Athletic Bilbao – Match Prediction
Both teams are playing very well recently, so I think they are capable of scoring here, even Espanyol prefers a quite patient approach.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (+100)
REAL SOCIEDAD vs. BARCELONA
3-Way: 1: Real Sociedad +581; X: +384 Draw; 2: Barcelona -227 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread +1.5: Real Sociedad -137; Barcelona +119
Total +3.5: Over +109; Under -134
REAL SOCIEDAD
After a brilliant 3:1 victory over Sevilla at the end of 2017, Real Sociedad upset their fans with a 1:0 defeat at Leganes last weekend. It was their third loss in the last five La Liga matches, so they are currently in the 12th spot of the table with 23 points and a 31:30 goal difference. At home, they couldn’t keep the net intact for eight La Liga matches in a row, and their fragile defense will probably have a torrid time against Barca’s attack.
Injuries and suspensions: Inigo Martinez (muscle), Adnan Januzaj (hamstring)
Head-to-head: Barca won the previous three H2H duels, while Sociedad’s last victory was two seasons ago on the home soil, 1:0.
BARCELONA
Barca is topping the La Liga table with 48 points and a 48:7 goal difference, nine points ahead of Atletico Madrid in the second spot, while they are still undefeated this season. In the previous round, Barca easily passed Levante with a 3:0 win in front of the home fans, as Lionel Messi scored the opening goal, while Luis Suarez doubled the lead. A new addition from Liverpool, Philippe Coutinho, will probably miss the clash due to an injury, while Ousmane Dembele is ready to go.
Injuries and suspensions: Samuel Umtiti (muscle), Philippe Coutinho (hamstring, doubtful)
Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona – Match Prediction
The home side will stand a chance in this one if they bring their best defensive game. Otherwise, we will see another convincing victory by Messi and co. I believe Real Sociedad will find the net in front of the home fans, so I’ll go with the over in this one.
MY PICK: Over 3.5 Goals (+109)
BETIS vs. LEGANES
3-Way: 1: Betis +119; X: +229 Draw; 2: Leganes +250 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Betis +118; Leganes -138
Total +2.5: Over +117; Under -143
BETIS
The Big Greens hammered their arch-rival Sevilla 5:3 at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan last weekend, and now their fans will celebrate this massive victory for weeks. Their beloved club will play at home this Monday, and it is the perfect chance to salute players, even if they don’t get another win. Who cares when they’ve bagged five goals against Sevilla? After this win, Betis is in the 10th spot of the table with 24 points and a 30:34 goal difference, the same number of points as their next rival Leganes. At home, Betis is without a win for four games in a row, recording two draws and two defeats in the process.
Injuries and suspensions: Joel Campbell (ankle), Antonio Sanabria (knee), Antonio Barragan (muscle), Zouhair Feddal (yellow card suspension)
Head-to-head: Last season both teams get a win each on the home soil, while three seasons ago in the La Liga 2, Leganes won both H2H duels.
LEGANES
Leganes continues with their patient and defensive approach which obviously pays off, as they are in the ninth spot of the table with 24 points and a 13:14 goal difference. On the road, they are winless for five La Liga matches in a row, recording four losses and just one draw in the process, scoring only one goal on those five occasions.
Injuries and suspensions: Darko Brasanac (muscle), Jon Ander Serantes (shoulder)
Betis vs. Leganes – Match Prediction
This is a quite tricky duel to predict the final outcome. Maybe Leganes is playing defensively, but Betis’ defense is one of the worst in the league, while their attack is one of the best. Therefore, I believe we’ll see at least two goals at Benito Villamarin.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-111)
