Betting Angles for Bayern-Dortmund, Barca-Sevilla, Juve-Milan
The international break is in the books, which means we are now in the homestretch of the European soccer season.
We've got three really interesting matchups to break down below, including one of Germany's biggest rivalries, a storied Spanish clash and a gigantic showdown in Italy.
Off we go.
Bayern Munich (-256) vs. Borussia Dortmund (+650)
Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET
Der Klassiker is always a game that Bundesliga fans pencil into their calendars, and the rivalry is renewed again this weekend. While Bayern slipped up ahead of the international break, the loss at RB Leipzig hasn’t derailed the Bavarian steam train, which is heading for a sixth consecutive league title with time to spare. In fact, Jupp Heynckes' side could win the league Saturday if Schalke — which kicks off three hours earlier — fail to beat Freiburg. A victory would then be enough for the hosts to seal the deal, and to do so at home against their greatest rivals would be particularly sweet. That should be incentive enough to avoid being too concerned with a trip to Seville in midweek.
This Borussia Dortmund side have not reached the same heights they did in previous seasons, so Bayern should certainly do their part in a bid to lift the trophy this weekend. Bayern have dropped just four of 39 points available at their home stadium, Allianz Arena (pictured above), all season. The visitors still have plenty to play for themselves, though, as they're far from guaranteed a Champions League finish in what is an incredibly tight scrap for the remaining spots between five sides.
Borussia Dortmund's main concern will be keeping a familiar foe quiet in former Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski, who has fared well against his old team since moving to Munich. Indeed, the Poland international’s league record against BVB of seven goals in as many games is enough to back him in the anytime scorer market. That's particularly the case when you consider that the Bayern hitman has netted 17 times in 13 Bundesliga outings at the Allianz this season, failing to score in just one of those matches. The spread in terms of odds is quite substantial, but a high of 1.65 (-154 American odds) with Winner is well worth a bet.
Sevilla (+333) vs. Barcelona (-125)
Saturday, 2:45 p.m. ET
This has to be one of the more straightforward bets of the weekend, as Barcelona travel to face a Sevilla side that is well off the pace of the top four in La Liga. (Valencia, in fourth, is a full 14 points clear of Sevilla, and first-place Barcelona is a whopping 30 points ahead of manager Vincenzo Montella’s side.)
Moreover, Sevilla’s record against the top four this season has been awful; they've lost all six of their encounters thus far, with a goal differential of -23. Indeed, that huge deficit has left the Champions League quarterfinalists with a -7 goal differential overall, which is only enough to rank 12th in Spain’s top flight.
Combine all that with the fact that Sevilla have a huge game against Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the Champions League — one they know they will need to win to have any chance of pulling off a huge upset — and a price available at 1.80 (-125 American odds) on Barcelona notching the away win with Marathon Bet is an incredible value. This is Barcelona we are talking about, after all!
Juventus (-152) vs. A.C. Milan (+475)
Saturday, 2:45 p.m. ET
Just as it seemed Juventus were set to gallop away from long-term pace-setters Napoli at the top, the reigning Serie A champions took their eye off the ball ahead of the international break. A 0-0 draw at SPAL has ensured that the title race in Italy is still very much on, and as such, Juve can’t afford any more lapses in concentration.
That is less likely against an esteemed opponent such as A.C. Milan, which suddenly have aspirations of a Champions League finish after a remarkable run under manager Gennaro Gattuso. Moreover, A.C. Milan are just five points behind rival Inter Milan in the standings with a huge derby between the capital-city competitors coming up Wednesday.
While that might be seen by some as a distraction, it’s the hosts this Saturday who will arguably be less focused given their own massive matchup with Real Madrid on Tuesday. Plus, given A.C. Milan’s form — five straight wins is now the second-longest streak in Europe’s top five leagues — this is likely to be a difficult test for Juventus. As such, the price of 1.90 with Betfair (-111 American odds) on Juventus to score one or zero goals would be my top tip from Turin.
Top Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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