La Liga Matchday 1 Odds & Picks: Barcelona, Valencia Offer Balue in Opening Week

• The 2019-20 La Liga season kicks off Friday in Bilbao, where Athletic host title-favorite Barcelona
• Newly-promoted Osasuna looks to earn a result away at home against small, crafty Leganes
• Valencia opens its campaign at home against Real Sociedad, with a number of potential plays for Marcelino’s side

Spain’s top domestic league gets underway this Friday, with favorites Barcelona coming in at -140 to win at Athletic Bilbao in the 2019-20 La Liga opener.

Amongst the other Spanish powerhouses, Real Madrid begins its campaign away to Celta Vigo while Atletico Madrid hosts Getafe in a battle of Madrid clubs.

Matchday 1 could offer some opportunity for the three teams promoted from the second division; Mallorca begins at home against mid-table Eibar, Osasuna visits bottom-half Leganes and Granada visits Villareal.

?? The 2019/2020 season is about to start… are you ready? ?? pic.twitter.com/kYsUN4KnIf

— FC Barcelona (from ?) (@FCBarcelona) August 15, 2019

Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona Odds

*All odds taken 8/15/19

It’s the dawn of a new season, and Barcelona’s journey to claim a third-straight La Liga title begins at the beautiful new San Mames Stadium against Athletic Bilbao.

While five of their past six league meetings have gone under — including 1-1 and 0-0 draws last season — make no mistake: This is a very potent Barcelona squad that added world-class pieces this summer in Antoine Griezmann (Atletico) and Frenkie de Jong (Ajax).

7 – Antoine Griezmann is one of the only two players with at least 10+ goals in each of the last seven LaLiga seasons, alongside Lionel Messi. Power. pic.twitter.com/eyQ7XdLoZB

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 2, 2019

Athletic Bilbao has also been far from sturdy in pre-season play, conceding in seven of eight friendlies this summer against middling competition.

Pick: Over 2.5 (-125) or Barcelona (-140)

Valencia vs Real Sociedad odds

Valencia was truly an incredible story last year; after circling the relegation zone in the first half of the La Liga season, Marcelino’s team rocketed through the second half to a fourth-place finish and Champions League football this season.

Real Sociedad was the polar opposite, coasting through the ‘back nine’ of the season to a mid-table finish.

Saturday’s hosts are a bigger club, with an ambitious chairman and their sights set firmly on a repeat Top-4 finish; the addition of GK Jasper Cillessen and ST Maxi Gomez should reinforce their favorite position for fourth.

13 – Only Cristhian Stuani (16) has scored more headed goals since the start of LaLiga 2017-18 than Valencia's Maxi Gómez (13). Hero. pic.twitter.com/z7Zf6QNmBy

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 14, 2019

This match ended 0-0 at La Mestalla last season, with the inverse fixture finishing 1-0 in San Sebastian in favor of Valencia.

Pick: Under 2.5 (-135) or Valencia no/BTTS (+165)

Leganes vs Osasuna odds

Leganes’ aim for 2019-20 will be survival; the little suburban Madrid club that could has managed to survive four seasons in La Liga after its first-ever promotion in 2016.

Osasuna’s will be an identical position after a strong attack led the club to a second-division title last season.

The newly-promoted visitors have bolstered their defense with the signings of Raul Navas on loan from Real Sociedad and La Liga journeyman Roncaglia from Celta Vigo. Will it be enough to see them to safety?

COMUNICADO OFICIAL | #Osasuna se hace con los servicios de Raúl Navas.#BienvenidoRaúl #OngiEtorriRaul

▶️ https://t.co/oyK7zYa6Xr pic.twitter.com/SSavvnKk3J

— C. A. OSASUNA (@CAOsasuna) August 14, 2019

Leganes’ home record (7W-8D-4L) at its Butarque home ground last year was decent, but included an ugly 2-0 loss to relegated Girona and a 1-1 draw against Valladolid.

Pick: Osasuna DNB (+175)

Bonus La Liga Parlay

Barcelona, Valencia and Osasuna/Draw (+405)