2020/21 La Liga Player Props: Karim Benzema Goal Total Set at 19.5, Sergio Ramos Total Cards Listed at 9.5

• Spain’s La Liga 2020-21 season kicks off this weekend
• Bookmakers are offering some player props, notably an over/under market for goalscorers and Sergio Ramos cards
• See all the odds for both props, an analysis, and a best bets below

The new La Liga season begins on the weekend with Real Madrid and Barcelona, as ever, expected to battle it out for the title with pressure from Atletico Madrid and Sevilla. Bookmakers are also offering some player-based props, including an over/under bet around the number of goals scored by some of the high-profile players, and also the number of cards collected by Sergio Ramos over the course of the campaign.

We’ll list the odds for both markets and offer our best bets.

La Liga Over/Under Scoring Odds

All odds taken Sept 9.

Benzema to Hit 20?

At 32-years-of-age, Benzema may be reaching the twilight of his glittering career – this is his 12th season at Real Madrid – but his goalscoring prowess shows no sign whatsoever of abating. In his time at the Bernabéu, he has scored an incredible 249 goals in his 513 games – a rate of only just less than a goal every other game – and last season he equaled his second-highest La Liga return of 21 goals in just 37 games, a feat he also achieved in 2018-19. Only in the 2015-16 season did he score more, when he hit 24.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE4_CsnWXJE

For a player who has never relied on lightning pace –  Benzema is a traditional number 9 who allies guile and speed of thought with his natural strength and power – the Frenchman will fancy his chances of hitting 20 goals again in 2020-21.

Pick: Benzema to score Over 19.5 (-118)

Unhappy Messi Stays at Barca

Not for the first time, the summer has seen a will he/won’t he drama surrounding Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. As one of the greatest players the world has ever seen, the Argentinan is always being touted with a lucrative move away from the Camp Nou, but with him and his agent believing a clause in his contract would allow him to leave for free this summer, the recent rumors carried extra weight.

There was even talk of Manchester City preparing a multi-million euro bid, but once it became clear that Barca and La Liga would demand that his €700m release clause be paid in full, Messi announced he would be staying in Catalonia, albeit reluctantly.

At his pomp, the Argentinian was hitting an incredible 50 La Liga goals in a season (2011-12) but in the last campaign, in which Barca themselves struggled, he hit 25 – his lowest total since 2008-09. With the player himself being openly half-hearted about the forthcoming campaign, and with his career appearing to be on a gentle downward curve, it’s conceivable he could end up closer to the 20 mark this season.

Pick: Messi to score Under 24.5 (-118)

Sergio Ramos Over/Under Cards Odds

Odds taken Sept 9

Ramos the Record-Breaker

Real Madrid and Spain center-back Sergio Ramos holds records aplenty and not all of them the good kind. In terms of honors, the Spaniard is one of the most decorated on the planet – five La Liga winners medals, two Copa del Reys, four Champions Leagues, four World Club Cups, a FIFA World Cup, and one UEFA European Championship medal – but as well as being renowned as one of the best defenders in the world, he’s also amassed a world-leading disciplinary record.

In the same way, he’s picked up loads of winners medals for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, he’s also been on the wrong side of the referees for both teams. He holds the record for being the most carded player in La Liga, with 190; 170 of which were yellow and 20 red. Those 20 red cards make him the most sent-off player in La Liga and, overall, he holds the record for being the most booked player in all of the major European Leagues.

📞 Sergio Ramos 😘

⚽️ Scored in nine of his last 15 matches for Spain
🎯 Scored his last 8 penalties for Spain
🇪🇸 8th in the all-time goalscorers list for Spain#NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/LLBdyt9M2s

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) September 9, 2020

In European soccer too he has fallen foul of refs, and in the Champions League, Ramos has picked up 40 yellow cards and four reds – making him a record holder in that competition too. Unsurprisingly, he also holds the record of being the most carded player ever in the Spanish national team, with 24 yellows.

At 34-years-of-age, he’s shown the odd sign of maturity, but as the legs slow then Ramos will be likely making more and more late challenges. It’s hard to see him getting a single-digit number of cards next season.

Pick Sergio Ramos to get Over 9.5 cards (-118)