Atletico Madrid’s La Liga Odds Now +184 After Win Over Barcelona

• Atletico Madrid have made major gains in La Liga odds in wake of this past weekend’s 1-0 over FC Barcelona
• Atletico are unbeaten in 24 league matches and sit second on the La Liga table, but continue to lag behind Real Madrid in the La Liga odds
• We’ve got you covered with the most recent odds as the action heats up in La Liga

Atletico Madrid continued their steady rise up the La Liga table with a narrow 1-0 win over FC Barcelona this past weekend, and have been rewarded at the sportsbooks, where they now sport odds as strong as +175 to claim their first league title since 2014. On average their title odds are now +184.

Odds to Win La Liga Championship

Odds taken Nov 23 at DraftKings

Atletico Extend Unbeaten Streak into New Season

Atletico have dominated in league play, winning five straight outings to climb to within three points of first-place Real Sociedad with two matches in hand. The club’s current tear also extends an impressive stretch in which they have avoided defeat in 24 league matches since early February.

Presenting the La Liga table… 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/DOgTG8sFdX

— Goal India (@Goal_India) November 22, 2020

Atletico have seized on a favorable stretch of the schedule to start their winning streak, with bottom-feeders Celta Vigo and Osasuna among their most recent opponents, but it is Saturday’s victory over Barca that has started to make believers out of previously skeptical sports bettors. The club opened the current campaign as a lengthy +900 bet in the La Liga odds, and sported average odds of +417 as recently as two weeks ago, but have seen their average odds dramatically improve to +184 in the wake of Saturday’s win.

While it is a diminished Barca squad they defeated this past weekend, the win does rewrite a narrative for Atletico. The club had gone winless in their previous 20 league meetings with Barca, dating back to 2010, and featured six shutout defeats. Indeed, it is Atletico that is now turning heads, keeping clean sheets in six of their past seven league contests, and allowing just two total goals through their first eight matches of the La Liga season.

Defending Champs Hobbled by Injuries

A slow start that has featured just five wins over their first nine contests has left defending champions Real Madrid lagging six points adrift of the top of the table in fourth place. But Real have yet to be shaken from their familiar perch atop the La Liga odds, where they remain pegged as +150 chalk.

Real Madrid have had tough luck with Injuries 🤕 #BeSoccer #footballhttps://t.co/rb1MoxYlAf pic.twitter.com/vmGRovfU20

— BeSoccer (@besoccer_com) November 22, 2020

Things are not trending in a favorable direction for Real, who sported odds as short as -146 in the first week of November. Los Blancos came out flat in a stunning 4-1 loss to Valencia and continued to struggle offensively in this past weekend’s 1-1 draw with Villarreal. However, Real have ample opportunity to right the ship during a busy stretch of five matches that features league dates with Deportivo Alavés and Sevilla before hosting Atletico in a critical clash on December 12.

Like Barca, Real have dominated Atletico in La Liga action, going undefeated in ten matchups since 2015. But with Real decimated by injuries that have sidelined captain Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Luka Jovic, Casemiro, and Dani Carvajal, Atletico enjoys an opportunity to put distance between themselves and their principal league rivals.

Barca Fading Fast

With just one win in their past six league matches, Barca have fallen well off the pace, tumbling to 12th place in La Liga, but continue to remain among the betting favorites with fading +350 odds. Unlike Real, Barca cannot point to injuries as the cause of their current woes.

Suarez hates what’s happening to Messi at Barcelona. pic.twitter.com/OUbXB6Klek

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 23, 2020

The club has simply been not very good of late, and no player has been immune. Barca has scored just eight times during their current 1-2-3 win-draw-loss run, with the bulk of the scoring coming in a 5-2 win over rapidly fading Real Betis earlier this month. Lionel Messi has found the back of the net in just one match since late September, while Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho have combined to score just three times this season.

Real Sociedad Must Prove They’re for Real

Conversely, Real Sociedad has emerged as an intriguing +1400 bet during their climb to the top of the table, well ahead of the +25000 odds they sported on opening day. However, each of the victories during the Basque squad’s current 6-0-0 run have come against lightweight opponents. They picked up just one total point in their early-season dates with Real and Valencia. A ride on the Real Sociedad bandwagon is best postponed until they prove their mettle against top-flight contenders.

Real Sociedad in LaLiga this season:

DDWLWWWWWW

Goals: 21
Conceded: 4
Clean sheets: 6

Top of the league. 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/UeeJtFutQx

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 22, 2020

And until Atletico proves that its win over Barca is no fluke by knocking off Real in next month’s Madrid Derby, the best betting value continues to be found in Los Blancos’ diminished odds.

The Pick: Real Madrid (+150)