Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao La Liga Round 31 Odds & Betting Preview

• Barca welcome Athletic Bilbao to Camp Nou on Tuesday in a must-win match
• Quique Setien’s squad are currently tied for the top spot with Real Madrid on 65 points
• Get the full odds, preview, and best bet for this fixture below

Two sides who have yet to lose since football returned in Spain will meet on Tuesday, June 23rd at Camp Nou, kick-off 4:00 pm EST on Matchday 31. Barca is coming off a scoreless draw against Sevilla on Friday, meanwhile, Athletic Club beat Real Betis 1-0 the following day. Bilbao has been impressive against Barca this term, beating them 1-0 on Matchday 1 then also defeating the Spanish giants by the same scoreline in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao Odds

Odds taken June 22

Barca Look to Continue Torrid Form on Home Soil

Leo Messi and co. have had their ups and downs this season, but regardless, they’re tied for first place. However, their form at home has been spectacular. Barca hasn’t lost in 27 La Liga matches at Camp Nou and will look to continue that trend against Bilbao. Since the hiatus, Setien’s men have won twice and tied, but their victories came against bottom of the table sides in Mallorca and Leganes. They dominated against Sevilla last week but weren’t able to find the back of the net with just three shots on target through 90 minutes.

Their backline has been solid as of late though, conceding no goals in their last three fixtures. Although Athletic Club beat Barca on both occasions this season, the La Liga giants are undefeated in their last 22 home matches against their Matchday 31 counterparts. Messi has been in fine form since play resumed, scoring twice and tallying two assists. The Argentinian has now bagged 21 goals and collected 14 assists in just 25 league appearances this term.

Frenkie de Jong is expected to miss the rest of June due to a calf injury, while Sergio Roberto will also be absent on Tuesday.

Can Bilbao Break the Streak?

Gaizka Garitano’s side is in ninth place and at this point, they’re just looking to upset the cart. Currently six points off the last European spot, Bilbao has gone undefeated in their last five matches dating back to before the pandemic. They have one of the finest backlines in Spain’s top flight, conceding just 26 goals in 30 fixtures this term.

Although Barca controlled the majority of the possession in both their meetings this season, Athletic was able to score one goal and take away three points. It’s simply the style of football that Barcelona play, so it’s just a matter of capitalizing on the few opportunities that Bilbao will have in the final third.

It will be no easy task given the hosts’ outstanding record on home soil, but Garitano’s men have already proved twice this year that they have enough quality to put up results against the current league leaders. Goals have been far and few between for the visitors this year though, with Raul Garcia netting ten goals and Inaki Williams scoring six times.

For Bilbao, they will be without left-back Yuri, who is sidelined due to a suspension. Instead, Mikel Balenziaga will feature in his place on Tuesday.

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao Stats

Best Bet

Although Bilbao has had Barca’a number this season, it’s tough to look past their breathtaking record at home. I do believe this is going to be a hard-fought match, but Barcelona will come out with the full three points. They realize just how important every clash is with the title race heating up and with that in mind, Quique Setien’s squad will bring their best on Tuesday.

Pick: Barcelona -270