*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
La Liga returns this weekend after a short winter break. Five points separate La Liga leaders Real Madrid from Sevilla in second place and a win here will put some further distance between the sides.
Valencia, in ninth, seem to have put their struggles behind them and have won three of their last five La Liga games. This one looks like it could be huge for both sides so we’ve gone deep into the stats and form to find the 3 Best Bets.
Saturday 8pm: Real Madrid v Valencia
La Liga TV/ Premier Sports
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Both Teams to Score
Real’s overall form has seen them win three of their last five, draw one and lose one where Both Teams to Score has landed in two of their last three. At home they’ve take full points in four of their last five, with one draw. Valencia have won three of their last five, as mentioned above, drawing one and losing one with BTTS landing in all five. On their league travels they’ve won just two of their last five in La Liga with BTTS landing in four.
While the hosts have kept three clean sheets over their last five at home we have to be swung by Valencia’s fine scoring record of eight over their last five on the road and with their BTTS stats too. Coupled this with the fact that Valencia have scored in five of their last eight visits to Madrid in the league and you can see why Both Teams to Score is the first of our 3 Best Bets here.
Real to Win and Over 2.5 Goals
While Valencia should draw some blood, the fact remains that Real are, by some distance, the best team in the league this season. Barcelona are a mess, Atletico have forgotten how to play like Atletico and Sevilla just can’t resist a Europa League run. At home they’ve won six of their nine La Liga encounters this campaign and have beaten Valencia on home turf in five of their last eight meetings.
They’ve been in robust scoring form too, bagging at least two in five of their nine home league games and that trend should continue against a Valencia side who have conceded eight over their last five in the league and 11 over their last five on their league excursions. We’ve already made a strong case for Valencia scoring but over the 90 minutes the home side should emerge victorious. Real to Win and Over 2.5 goals then has to make the list.
Real Madrid – Half Time/Full Time
Los Blancos have been doing the vast amount of their business in the second period of play, scoring 25 second-half goals over their 20 La Liga games. At home though they’ve been sure to get out of the traps quickly, scoring nine First Half goals and have won the first half in three of their last five at home in all competitions and three of their last five home La Liga games too.
The league leaders have been leading at halftime in four of the last six meetings between the sides here and Valencia have been trailing at the interval in three of their last five away league games. Los Murcielagos have conceded 15 in the first 45 minutes over their 19 La Liga games, conceding a total of 12 over their nine away La Liga clashes. Real Madrid to Win in the Half Time/Full Time market also has to make the list when we’re armed with those stats.
Real Madrid v Valencia tips
Both Teams to Score
Real to Win and Over 2.5 Goals
Real Madrid – Half Time/Full Time
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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