The 2020-2021 La Liga season is all set to kick off this weekend. Unfortunately, there won’t be quite as many games in the first weekend as the top clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Europa League champions Sevilla have been given more time to prepare following their European commitments.
Nevertheless, there are still some interesting La Liga matchups on offer, including the Valencia derby, which could provide a surprising outcome.
That match is just one of three which have the potential to produce a big upset that you can profit off of! Let’s take a closer look at each one to see why that is.
Real Valladolid vs Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad are coming off a fine sixth-placed finish last season. Although, they ended their campaign in a disappointing fashion as they won just two of their 11 games after the restart.
Nevertheless, they will begin the season as 2.47 favourites away to Real Valladolid, who are priced at 2.91 to claim the home win.
La Real will not be at 100 per cent for this match, though. Their star signing, former Manchester City maestro David Silva, is unlikely to make his debut after testing positive for COVID-19. Silva was supposed to replace key midfielder Martin Odegaard, who has returned to Real Madrid, so his absence will be a big blow for La Real.
That now opens the door for Valladolid to start the season with a positive home result. Valladolid did not get many wins at the José Zorrilla Stadium last season, but they did pick up 10 draws, by far the most at home in La Liga.
The Asian Handicap odds have Valladolid +0.25 at 1.75, so a Valladolid win or draw would win the bet. Meanwhile, Valladolid 0.00 is at 2.13, which means a home win would win the bet and a draw would return your stake.
Alaves vs Real Betis
Alaves’ La Liga 2020 results to end last season were simply disastrous. They lost eight of their 11 games after the restart, which included a run of six straight defeats that led to the sacking of coach Asier Garitano.
Pablo Machin is now set to take charge of the club in their centenary season, and he will have a decent squad at his disposal. The strike partnership of Lucas Perez and Joselu, who each had 11 goals last season, remains intact, which is a major boost.
Alaves’ front two will fancy their chances of getting on the scoresheet right away as they begin their season against Real Betis, who had the second-worst defensive record last season, shipping in 60 goals.
Betis were also incredibly bad away from home last season; they picked up just one win in 19 matches, with seven draws and 11 losses.
And another factor in Alaves’ favour is that Betis’ top scorer last season, Loren Moron, has only just returned to training after testing positive for COVID-19, so it remains to be seen how sharp he will be if he plays.
With all of those things in mind, placing a bet on Alaves, whether it’s on the 1X2 market (2.74 to win) or the Asian Handicap (0.00 is 2.02), would be a wise move.
Valencia vs Levante
Last but not least, it’s the biggest match of this shortened La Liga weekend: the Valencia derby between Valencia and Levante.
History is clearly on Valencia’s side in this rivalry; they’re undefeated in their last six against Levante, who haven’t won at the Mestalla since 1937. Unsurprisingly, the La Liga 2020 betting odds also favour the home side. SBOTOP have a Valencia win at 2.08, with a win Levante and a draw both at 3.40.
But new Valencia boss Javi Gracia will have a tough task ahead of him. The club lost a number of key attacking players in Rodrigo, who was sold to Leeds United, Ferran Torres, who went to Manchester City, and captain Dani Parejo, who left for Villarreal on a free.
Those three combined for 16 goals and 15 assists last season, and Valencia did not bring in anyone of note to replace them.
With Valencia’s attacking talent depleted, Levante will have a decent chance at escaping the Mestalla with at least a point. Levante picked up a dramatic draw against Valencia in their last league meeting in June, and the Asian Handicap odds of Levante +0.50 at 1.85 looks like a great shout to start the season.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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