Sat 23/12/2017 - 06:46 EST

Real Madrid vs Barcelona LaLiga Betting Lines Picks

Odds are courtesy of bovada.

Barcelona holds a clear six-point lead over La Liga rivals Real Madrid as the two powerhouse clubs prepare to meet in the first El Clasico of the season. Despite holding a comfortable lead in the La Liga table, Barca head coach Ernesto Valverde believes his team heads to the Bernabeau as the underdogs.

“I don’t think we are favorites,” Valverde told BBC.com. “Madrid are such a powerful team that they can strike you down even when you’re in your best moment of form. Also, they will be at home.” The last time these two teams clashed was April 2017 when Barcelona walked away with a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid. However, the overall record heading into Saturday’s tilt still favors Real Madrid as they’ve won 72 games compared to Barcelona’s 69 victories.

Here are some of the top betting lines for the match on Saturday.

Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona Betting Lines Picks - December 23, 2017

Real Madrid (+105) vs. Barcelona (+210)

Ernesto Valverde is correct when he said his team wouldn’t be the favorites heading into Saturday’s El Clasico. Real Madrid enters the highly anticipated matchup as +105 favorites according to Bovada money lines. Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale will make his long-await return to the lineup after being sidelined since September. Keep in mind Barcelona has not dropped a game under Valverde this season.

Total Goals

There will be goals on Saturday, the question is, how many? Bovada has set the projected goals total at 3.5. The over is EVEN, while assuming the game could be a defensive contest, the under will pay -120. Ten of the last 11 games between Real Madrid and Barcelona have produced 3 or more goals. Bettors can expect that trend to continue in Saturday’s El Clasico.

First Goal Scorer

Cristiano Ronaldo is perfectly healthy after suffering what appeared to be a calf injury. Ronaldo is a +300 favorite to score the game’s first goal of the match. Ronaldo has made 28 El Clasico appearances and has scored 17 goals. On the flipside, Lionel Messi — a +350 favorite to net the opening goal, will make his 37th El Clasico Appearance and has netted 24 goals during that stretch. It is a safe bet to put your money on either, but take Messi on Saturday.

Correct Score

Bovada is offering a slew of betting lines to predict the final score. While a draw may be the likely outcome, putting your money on underdog Barcelona is not such a bad idea. It certainly will not be a blowout, but an outcome of Barcelona winning by a score of 2-1 is paying out +1200. If you’re thinking about taking the draw, put your money on a 1-1 tie after 90-plus minutes.

El Clasico Prediction: Barcelona (+210)


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