Over/Under Goal Predictions for Messi, Hazard & Benzema in 2019-20 La Liga Season
- New La Liga season to start on August 16
- Series of scoring over/under props being offered
- Messi aiming for 30+ yet again
The new La Liga season kicks off on Friday, August 16 when Athletic Bilbao entertain Barcelona – kick-off at 3:00 pm EST.
It’s expected to be another two-horse race at the top of the table between Barcelona and Real Madrid, and Lionel Messi is almost guaranteed to be among the league’s leading goalscorers. But there are some interesting over/under props for a few of the league’s main protagonists.
Total Goals Scored 2019/20 – Eden Hazard Odds
| Goal Total 2019/20 | Actual Goals Scored 2018/19 | Over Odds | Under Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16.5 | 16 | -120 | -110 |
*All odds taken 08/12/19.
Eden Hazard’s summer move to the Bernabeau is one that has been rumored for some time, and with the Belgian having finally arrived it will be interesting to see if he can have the same impact that he did in the English Premier League.
In his final season at Stamford Bridge, Hazard scored 16 goals – his best return since 2011/12 in his final season at Lille in Ligue 1 when he hit 20 – and so he has arrived in Madrid at the peak of his powers.
Eden Hazard scores for the first time in a Real Madrid shirt.
Get used to it ? pic.twitter.com/13pJjRXLYO
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 7, 2019
While his team at Chelsea was expensively assembled and had more than its fair share of superstars, the Real Madrid squad he has joined is on another level. At Stamford Bridge, Hazard was a big fish in a medium-sized pond but at the Bernabeu, it’s wall-to-wall big fish – every single player is an international superstar.
So, while last season, some of his 16 goals were created through his own brilliance, this season he’ll be surrounded by creativity, with manager Zinedine Zidane encouraging his players to play with freedom and flair.
If Hazard can hit the ground, there’s nothing stopping him scoring 17 and some.
Our pick: Hazard to score over 16.5 goals
Total Goals Scored 2019/20 – Karim Benzema Odds
| Goal Total 2019/20 | Actual Goals Scored 2018/19 | Over Odds | Under Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17.5 | 21 | -105 | -125 |
Real Madrid’s Benzema will benefit from all of the quality described above, plus he’ll have Eden Hazard himself providing the ammunition. His 21 goals last time out was his best return since scoring 24 in 2015/16 and equalled his second-best tally from 2011/12.
In his decade at the Bernabeu, the 31-year-old Frenchman has averaged 14.8 goals per season, with his lowest tally being just five in 2017/18 – but the big question for those contemplating a bet on Benzema is how many games will he play this season. To get his 21 league goals, he played 36 times – the most he’s played in a single season – but with Neymar on Real’s radar, it does beg the question, ‘who will the Brazilian replace?’
If Benzema’s game time is limited, so too will his opportunity to break the 21 goal barrier, and so for that reason, we’re drawn towards the Frenchman scoring around 15 goals this campaign.
Our pick: Benzema to score less than 17.5 goals
Total Goals Scored 2019/20 – Lionel Messi Odds
| Goal Total 2019/20 | Actual Goals Scored 2018/19 | Over Odds | Under Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34.5 | 36 | -115 | -115 |
The little maestro’s record speaks for itself. In his 15 seasons at the Camp Nou, he has scored the amazing total of 419 at an average of over 29 per season – a phenomenal achievement.
He peaked in 2011/12 when he scored no less than 50 goals in La Liga, and followed it up the following season with 46; both seasons being in the midst of his battle with Cristiano Ronaldo.
The pair, for many seasons, were locked in combat over the Golden Boot and the Ballon d’Or and in many ways were responsible for spurring each other onto greater heights, with both hitting the half-century in that period. But now there is no Ronaldo in La Liga – he plays for Juventus in Serie A – and Messi’s battle is with himself and the record books.
?️ — Messi: “Barcelona is my life, they have brought me to where I am today, I could not leave, I don’t want to leave. My heart stays with Barcelona.”
Icon.
https://t.co/EpuFpgra6I— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) August 6, 2019
Another astounding fact is how fit the little Argentinian keeps himself, and even at 32-years-old he regularly plays over 30 league games per season and has stayed remarkably clear of serious and long-term injuries.
His goalscoring ratio over the last few seasons has been almost a goal-a-game and providing he continues to stay fit and healthy and he plays well over 30 league games, we think he’ll break the 35-goal barrier.
Our pick: Messi to score more than 34.5 goals
Once just a sports fanatic, fan-turned-writer Gary Gowers has been featured on European television and radio networks to discuss several professional football clubs. His work can be found in an assortment of publications like The Metro, MyFootballWriter.com, and BBC Radio Norfolk.
