La Liga Betting – Best Picks, Odds, Predictions
From a betting perspective, there’s much more to think about than the big three Spanish football clubs. In this guide to La Liga betting, you’ll find everything from understanding La Liga betting odds to how to make your La Liga picks will be discussed, along with our La Liga predictions for the upcoming season.
By the time you’re done reading our guide, you’ll be a smarter Spanish soccer bettor and will be poised to turn a profit in this league.
Best Sportsbooks to Bet on La Liga
La Liga is one of the most popular soccer leagues on the planet. As a result, there are plenty of sportsbooks that offer betting action on the league. Here’s a look at which sportsbooks offer La Liga betting, so you can start to think about where you want to place your wagers on Spain’s top-tier league all season long.
La Liga Previous Season Recap
Last season, it was Atlético Madrid that came out of the fray with the trophy for winning La Liga. Despite the fact Real Madrid and Barcelona are always La Liga betting favorites going into each season, Atlético did enough to claim the title on 86 points, two points better than Real Madrid. Atlético Madrid’s defense made the difference, as Atlético gave up a league-best 25 goals in 38 matches.
Real Madrid finished second in La Liga, finishing just two points behind Atlético Madrid, though that doesn’t contextualize just how close the title race was. Real Madrid had one more draw than Atlético Madrid over the course of last season, with both teams losing the same number of games. Had Real turned one of its nine draws into a win last season, they would’ve been tied on 86 points with Atlético.
Third place in La Liga went to Barcelona, who fell short of expectations in a big way. Barca finished seven points back of champions Atlético Madrid, in a season that was marred by off-field drama and financial problems behind the scenes for the Catalan giants. The season prompted changes for Barcelona that forever changed the history of one of the biggest clubs in the world, and the La Liga betting markets for the foreseeable future.
The relegation race was a tight one in the 2020-2021 La Liga season, as no team finished with under 30 points on the year. The competitive relegation battle saw Huesca, Real Valladolid, and Eibar sent down to La Liga 2. Espanyol, Mallorca and Rayo Vallecano were the three teams promoted from La Liga 2 to the Primera Division.
Summer 2021 Transfer Window Recap
It’s impossible to talk about the summer transfer market in La Liga without talking about the departure of Lionel Messi from Barcelona.
Messi, possibly the best player in soccer history, was the reason that Barcelona was among La Liga betting favorites year in and year out for more than a decade. Without him, Barcelona will have to completely change the way it operates to remain an elite club.
Barcelona also had to offload Antoine Griezmann after he’d spent a few years with the club. Griezmann went back to a club he had played with previously, as the French World Cup winner was sold to Atlético Madrid. Barca is hoping that bringing Ferran Torres to Camp Nou during the January 2022 transfer window will help push them in the right direction.
Interestingly, Real Madrid was quiet during the summer 2021 transfer window, largely standing pat with their team. There was speculation about whether or not Karim Benzema would still be their striker, but the lack of moves in or out solidified his spot with the team. With Real Madrid still being in first place and the top team in outright La Liga betting markets, Benzema’s place is certainly warranted for now.
Winter 2022 Transfer Window Recap
As per the norm, the transfer market in La Liga is headlined by the moves that Barcelona made over the latest window. They made several drastic changes in an attempt to improve the team after a tumultuous last year. Chief among those changes were Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres, who were most recently in the Premier League before coming to Barca in the winter window.
Sevilla also made a splash in the most recent transfer market, headlined by the acquisition of Anthony Martial. Martial never really lived up to the hype that was set for him at Manchester United, but he still has plenty of talent that Sevilla can benefit from. Combined with the signing of Porto’s Jesus Corona, Sevilla is a team that certainly improved in the mid-season transfer market.
There were a couple of notable departures out of La Liga this winter as well, including Kieran Trippier and Philippe Coutinho. Trippier was sent out of Atletico Madrid, being signed by Newcastle United, while Coutinho was signed out of Barcelona by Aston Villa. Both teams did not have those players in the future plans, but losing out on talents like them could hurt them in the long run if injuries or other depth concerns come into play.
Who are Favorites to Win La Liga this Season?
The current La Liga betting favorite would have to be Real Madrid after they stormed to the top of the league’s standings at the midway point of the 2021-2022 campaign. Real Madrid is the only team in La Liga averaging more than two goals per game through the first half of the season. They scored 41 goals in their first 19 games, with no team scoring more than 32 goals by the first day of 2022.
Sevilla has the best odds to claw their way back ahead of Real Madrid according to La Liga betting odds. There’s very little chance Sevilla can actually get back in front of Los Blancos. But Sevilla’s 13 goals allowed in the 2021 portion of the season was good enough for the top defensive mark in the league coming into January of 2022, which deserves a lot of credit.
There aren’t any other viable options in terms of having a realistic chance to win La Liga. Atlético Madrid and Barcelona have both struggled mightily over the course of the season, and La Liga betting odds don’t see the teams below Real Madrid and Sevilla as having a real shot to win the title. Given how far ahead Real Madrid is, that lack of another real competitor is justified.
Who is in Danger of Relegation?
The relegation battle in La Liga in the 2021-2022 campaign appears to have one front runner and several other teams in the mix. That front runner is Levante, who ended 2021 with just eight points on this season, putting them in 20th place by a convincing margin. Levante didn’t win a single match in their 18 games during the 2021 leg of the campaign, which put them behind the eight-ball in a big way.
After Levante, there’s a group of about five teams between 14 and 15 points through 2021 that are serious relegation candidates. Cádiz, Getafe, Elche and Alavés are all in peril as they’re just ahead of Levante but still looking way up at the rest of the table in La Liga. While La Liga betting odds put Levante as the heavy favorite for relegation, these five teams have to be careful not to go from a part of La Liga betting to La Liga 2 betting.
Outright Predictions & Odds for La Liga 2021/22
The biggest outright prediction to be made for the 2021-2022 season is that Real Madrid is going to finish the job and win the title this season. They go in 2022 with a 17-point advantage over Atlético Madrid in La Liga table, as well as an 18-point lead over Barcelona. While the rest of the teams chasing Real Madrid may give a valiant effort, the advantage is too much to overcome for Los Blancos right now.
Another prediction that might seem obvious according to La Liga betting odds is that Karim Benzema will hold on for the top scorer distinction this season. Benzema enters 2022 with four more goals than the next highest scoring player, and he’d need to go through a serious drought in order to relinquish his scoring lead over the final few months of the campaign.
Perhaps the most interesting La Liga betting question going into the second half of this La Liga campaign is whether or not Atlético Madrid and Barcelona will get into the Champions League places this year. They are each within two points of the fourth spot in La Liga with plenty of games to go. But spotty form may not make this as easy as it would be in most seasons where both of these squads are on their game.
Players to Keep an Eye on in La Liga this Season
The top player to keep an eye on during this season in La Liga is Karim Benzema. Real Madrid are convincing La Liga betting favorites through the first half of the year, and Benzema’s unreal performance this year has been the reason why. He’s the top scorer in La Liga, but finished 2021 with the second highest assist tally as well. He’s been carrying his team to success this year.
Outside of the current La Liga betting favorites, Barcelona’s Memphis Depay is a player to watch this season. Depay had eight goals in the 2021 leg, putting him in a tie for sixth in La Liga as the calendar rolled over. But that hasn’t been good enough, as Barcelona is further down the table than they are used to, and they might be asking for too much from Depay.
Finally, Luis Suárez of Atlético Madrid isn’t likely to carry the teami to a title, but he’s always worth watching when he’s on the pitch. Suárez has the potential to do something brilliant every time he is on the field, even at his advanced age, but he also has the potential to spark controversy at a moment’s notice. It’s always worth watching him to see what he will do next.
How do we Provide our Expert Picks for La Liga?
In La Liga betting, the most important thing you have to do when making picks is understand every team and the odds. It’s human nature to lend attention to the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, but the real value in this league when it comes to betting odds is on teams like Alaves and Betis and everyone in between. Our La Liga handicappers take care of that by watching the entire league and not just the higher-profile clubs.
Our La Liga betting experts also account for the situational factors that can impact a match one way or the other. They take into account what a team’s schedule looks like around each match to determine when teams will rest players or have their attention occupied with other matches. It’s another area where we can find you value that others may not think to look at.
Best Sportsbooks that Cover La Liga Games
When it comes to the best sites for La Liga betting, it’s important to remember that your needs may be different than someone else’s needs. Your criteria for what makes a sportsbook the best may be completely different than another bettor, which means you may have a different preferred sportsbook than that other person. But these top La Liga betting sites should work to satisfy the needs of most players.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook is a site where you can feel confident that you’re getting some of the best soccer betting markets in the industry. Caesars is a rebranded version of the William Hill sportsbook, which had been operating in Europe long before their transition to the U.S. market. Because of that, you know they’ve always paid attention to soccer betting, including La Liga betting.
FanDuel Sportsbook
Another La Liga betting operator you may want to try is FanDuel Sportsbook. FanDuel offers live streaming of Spanish soccer matches like those in La Liga. The ability to watch the matches from the same place you bet on the matches is very convenient and worth adding to your La Liga betting repertoire.
Sportsbook Promo Codes and Best Bonuses for La Liga
There are several sportsbook bonuses available to La Liga bettors, and you can get your hands on as many of them as you want when starting your La Liga betting journey. There’s no rules that say you can only use one sportsbook, so try them all and see what you like. Besides, who doesn’t want free money?
One of the best La Liga betting offers for new players comes at FanDuel Sportsbook, which offers a risk-free first bet worth up to $1,000. Here, you can risk up to $1,000 on your first bet and either keep the profits with a win or get your money back with a loss.
Another quality La Liga betting promo comes from DraftKings Sportsbook, which offers a 20% deposit bonus worth up to $1,000. There, you can make your first deposit for any amount you wish and get a 20% bonus on that amount, with a max bonus amount of $1,000. This means that a $5,000 first deposit gets the full $1,000, or you can get a proportionate bonus amount based on what you put into the site.
All You Need to Know about La Liga Betting
There are a lot of factors to consider when betting on La Liga. Fortunately, like a midfielder sending a perfect pass to a striker for a tap-in, we’re here to help you make sense of everything that has to do with La Liga betting.
Here are a few things to consider when betting on Spanish soccer, from how the odds work to what betting markets are the most popular.
La Liga Odds And Betting Lines
When you look at your La Liga betting options, you’ll see different betting odds for each selection on the board. The first thing you need to do is understand what these betting odds mean for each selection. To do this, you must understand what the numbers mean, which depends on whether the numbers in each set of betting odds start with plus signs or minus signs.
La Liga betting odds that start with a plus sign stand for the amount you would win if you put $100 on that market. Conversely, La Liga betting odds that start with a minus sign signify the amount you need to risk in order to win $100 on that bet. For example, +120 odds mean that a $100 bet would win $120, while -120 odds mean that a $120 bet would be necessary to win $100 in profit.
For over/under and spread betting markets, most of the betting odds will at least be in the neighborhood of -110, though some variance is to be expected depending on the game. Moneyline, prop and futures markets are where odds can vary wildly, as they’re based on the perceived talent level of both teams and their players.
Compare Odds for La Liga
One of the most important La Liga betting tips we can give you is to compare the betting odds for any bet you want to make. You’ll notice small differences from one sportsbook to the next for each bet you’re thinking about making.
But why should you care about these small differences in La Liga betting odds?
To answer that question, let’s look at an example of La Liga betting markets between two sportsbooks. During a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid, Barcelona might be at +105 to win the match at one sportsbook and +115 to win at another sportsbook. That would mean a $100 bet would win $105 at +105 odds and $115 at +115 odds, with +115 being the better price for you to bet at.
If you looked at just this one bet, you would see a potential difference of $10 in winnings for betting at the superior price. But if you took that $10 and applied it to 1000 bets over a period of many years, you could see a $10,000 difference by comparing odds and using a price that was $10 better for you.
It’s the little differences that add up over time. Every dollar counts.
How do we Generate our La Liga Odds?
Our La Liga betting odds are compiled from a large number of legal U.S. sportsbooks that offer action in that betting market. By comparing those odds across so many sportsbooks, we’re able to show you where the best prices are for each play. That allows us to recommend bets that are as profitable as possible, as often as we possibly can.
We also compare our projections for each game to the betting odds posted at these sportsbooks. Doing so allows us to inform you where our projections show value against the actual betting odds. This, combined with carefully comparing La Liga betting odds from around the marketplace, allow us to maximize profitability for you in ways that go beyond simply handicapping each match to predict winners.
Moneyline La Liga Odds
The moneyline betting market is one that’s used across La Liga betting, the rest of soccer betting, and the sports betting universe as a whole. The goal when you bet on the moneyline is to correctly predict which team is going to win each match in La Liga.
Of course, it’s also possible for a match to end in a draw, which serves as the third option when betting on the moneyline in soccer. But moneyline betting is really that simple.
As an example of a La Liga moneyline market, let’s go back to our Barcelona vs. Real Madrid example above. In that match, Barcelona might be at +115 to win the match, Real Madrid might be at +150 to win the match, and the match could be at +250 to end in a draw. In that situation, a $100 bet on Barcelona would yield $115, a $100 bet on Real Madrid would yield $150, and a $100 bet on the draw would yield $250. La Liga Over/Under Odds
Over/under betting is another popular form of wagering on La Liga, as you have the opportunity to predict how many goals will be scored in a match. This is another pretty straightforward market, as bookmakers will set a total number of goals for the match. You can then predict whether you think the combined number of goals scored in the game will be over or under that amount.
For example, our Barcelona vs. Real Madrid match might come with a total of 2.5 from bookmakers. You would then bet on whether you think the two teams will combine for over or under that amount. If both teams combine for two or fewer goals, the under would be the winning bet, while three or more goals in El Clasico would result in the over being the winner.
How Does La Liga Work?
La Liga consists of 20 teams throughout Spain, with each team playing home and away matches against the 19 other teams in the league. That means a total of 38 matches for each team, with wins equalling three points, draws yielding one point, and losses yielding zero points. The team with the highest point total at the end of the season is declared the winner.
The race for the championship is exciting each year, but so is the race to avoid relegation. At the end of each La Liga season, the teams with the three lowest point totals are relegated to La Liga 2. In their place, three teams are promoted from La Liga 2 each year to keep La Liga with 20 teams each year.
Teams and Venues
The 20 current teams in La Liga reside throughout Spain. Here‘s a look at all 20 teams, as well as what home venue belongs to each club.
| Team | Home Venue |
|---|---|
| Alavés | Mendizorroza |
| Athletic Bilbao | San Mamés |
| Atletico Madrid | Wanda Metropolitano |
| Barcelona | Camp Nou |
| Cadiz | Nuevo Mirandilla |
| Celta Vigo | Abanca-Balaidos |
| Elche | Martinez Valero |
| Espanyol | RCDE Stadium |
| Getafe | Coliseum Alfonso Perez |
| Granada | Nuevo Los Cármenes |
| Levante | Ciutat de Valencia |
| Mallorca | Visit Mallorca Estadi |
| Osasuna | El Sadar |
| Rayo Vallecano | Vallecas |
| Real Betis | Benito Villamarín |
| Real Madrid | Santiago Bernabeu |
| Real Sociedad | Anoeta |
| Sevilla | Ramón Sanchez Pizjuan |
| Valencia | Mestalla |
| Villarreal | Estadio de la Cerámica |
La Liga Trophy
The trophy for winning La Liga was redesigned in 2016, as a part of the league’s rebrand after being La Liga BBVA for an extended period of time before that. The new trophy for La Liga is much more narrow than the previous trophy, with handles that twist into the front and back of the cup instead of going into the sides. While Barcelona and Real Madrid are often the sides that win this trophy, every team will make it their goal to win this one.
COVID-19 Status
As of now, there are no plans to suspend La Liga over COVID-19. However, there have been some match postponements due to positive tests in top-flight soccer leagues around Europe. It’s always a possibility that the season is stopped at one point or another, but for now La Liga is set to continue as scheduled.
Interesting Facts About La Liga
La Liga was founded in 1929, and has been in operation for more than 90 years in total. Over one-third of the total titles awarded in the history of the league have gone to Real Madrid, who came into the 2021-2022 season with 34 titles. Barcelona entered this season with 26 La Liga titles, meaning that the two sides have combined for nearly two-thirds of the total titles in La Liga.
The match between Real Madrid and Barcelona is called El Clasico and it’s the most famous soccer derby in the world. This rivalry goes back to 1902 and is not only expressed on the pitch, but also in politics.
Athletic Bilbao (Athletic Club), Barcelona, and Real Madrid are the only founding clubs that have never been relegated.
According to UEFA’s league coefficient ratings (a fancy way of measuring league strength), La Liga has been Europe’s strongest league 22 times in 60 years up to 2019, the most of any country.
La Liga Conclusion
La Liga is considered to be a very top-heavy league, thanks to the presence of Barcelona and Real Madrid. But there’s a lot of value if you’re willing to dig deeper than the top teams in this competition. With our La Liga betting picks, you’ll get a lot of help digging beneath the surface level observations in this league to be as profitable as possible in Spanish soccer.