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La Liga Matchday 21 Odds & Picks: Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao, Cadiz vs Atletico & More

Carlos Verde

by Carlos Verde in Soccer News

Updated Jan 28, 2021 · 8:31 AM PST

La Liga Matchday 21
Barcelona's goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen greets teammate Ousmane Dembele, front, during Spanish Super Cup semi final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Sociedad at Nuevo Arcangel stadium in Cordoba, Spain, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Barcelona will play the final after defeating Real Sociedad 3-2 in a penalty shootout after the game ended 1-1. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
  • Matchday 21 in Spain’s La Liga kicks off Friday with a relegation battle, as Valladolid hosts Huesca (3:00 pm ET), and features ten matches with plenty of value plays on the betting board
  • Leader Atletico Madrid visits sliding Cadiz on Sunday (10:15 am), while Real Madrid — seven points behind their cross-town rival — hosts Levante on Saturday (10:15 am)
  • Get all the odds and best bets for La Liga Matchday 21 in Spain’s La Liga below

Atletico Madrid’s torrid pace continued last weekend, as Diego Simeone’s squad overcame an early deficit to comfortably coast past Valencia 3-1; the Colchoneros have won seven in a row since a 2-0 derby loss to Real, and still have a game in-hand on their title challengers heading into La Liga Matchday 21.

Atleti’s visit to Cadiz will not be a walk in the park but could offer value on the total goals side of the matchup.

A rare Valencia-Elche clash at La Mestalla on Saturday (12:30 pm) promises plenty of intrigue, as the hosts try to avoid getting drawn into an embarrassing relegation battle that their modest visitors seem destined for.

Barcelona winds the matchday down on Sunday against Athletic Bilbao (3:00 pm), less than two weeks removed from a 3-2 defeat to its Basque visitors in the Supercopa final.

La Liga Matchday 21 Odds

Matchup Home Draw Away
Valladolid vs Huesca +145 +215 +210
Eibar vs Sevilla +300 +215 +106
Real Madrid vs Levante -295 +460 +700
Valencia vs Elche -159 +270 +500
Villarreal vs Real Sociedad +140 +215 +215
Getafe vs Alaves -114 +225 +375
Cadiz vs Atletico Madrid +850 +290 -225
Granada vs Celta Vigo +175 +230 +160
Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao -250 +400 +600
Real Betis vs Osasuna -110 +225 +350

All odds taken Jan 27 at DraftKings

Valencia vs Elche Prediction

Ahead of their La Liga Matchday 21 clash, it’s incredible how similar Valencia (4-8-8) and Elche (3-8-7) have been this season given the vast gulf that exists between the two clubs’ histories.

Valencia is less than two decades removed from being a legitimate contender in both La Liga and the Champions League, with one of Spain’s most iconic stadiums and a first-rate fan base; Elche has only sporadically been a first-division team since the 1970s, and its last stint in La Liga ended due to unpaid tax debt in 2015.

The contrast is stark, and yet just three points separate Valencia (14th) from Elche (19th) in the table.

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Valencia’s middling 2-5-3 home record — specifically, three-straight draws against non-big five at La Mestalla — combined with Elche’s 2-1 win in the reverse fixture back on October 23 point to the potential for a result for the visitors.

Pick: Elche or Draw (+130)

Cadiz vs Atletico Madrid Prediction

While much has been written about Atleti (15-2-1) and its seemingly unstoppable march to the ’21 La Liga title, Cadiz (6-6-8) has quietly made headway in its quest for survival on its return to Spain’s top flight this season.

A red-hot start fired manager Alvaro Cervera’s journeyman squad into a lofty top-half position, but one win from eight matches has left El Submarino Amarillo sliding towards the relegation battle.

Cadiz’s 3-nil defeat at Sevilla last weekend provides a recent glimpse of where this team is at — as did the 4-0 loss at Atletico in the reverse fixture back on November 7.

Atleti’s 6-1-1 road record — and just five conceded goals in eight matches — point to a clean victory in the south of Spain on La Liga Matchday 21 for the rojiblancos.

Pick: Atletico Madrid to Win to Nil (-103)

Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction

Ronald Koeman’s Barça (11-4-4) has been one of La Liga’s hottest teams in recent weeks, posting three clean sheets on its current four-game winning streak.

Athletic Bilbao (7-3-9) is the one team that has given them a run in that time frame, first in league play on January 6 and then in the Supercopa final 11 days later; while the Blaugrana prevailed in league play, Athletic lifted the trophy — with both matches ending 3-2.

The flurry of goals between the two in the month of January is actually a departure from the norm: The previous seven meetings across all competitions all came in Under 2.5.

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Expect a return to that average come Sunday, but if you want some added protection the Under 3.5 (-162) still offers better value than usual — largely based on the two five-goal affairs in recent weeks.

Pick: Under 2.5 (+160)

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