Europa League Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions for Real Sociedad vs. Napoli (Thursday, Oct. 29)

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Real Sociedad vs. Napoli Odds

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Clubs in beyond stellar form go at it in Europa League action Thursday when Real Sociedad hosts Napoli in a Group F showdown at Anoeta Stadium.

Real Sociedad, the current La Liga leaders, opened the competition with a 1-0 win against Croatian side Rijecka. On the other side, things did not go well for Napoli, which suffered a stunning 1-0 home upset defeat against undermanned Dutch club AZ Alkmaar at Stadio San Paolo.

These combatants are two of the favorites to win the Europa title, so there is plenty at stake entering this ultra-important contest.

That being said, let's take a look at this showdown and see what's on deck.

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Real Sociedad

The La Liga club could not be happier with its start to the campaign, sitting atop the table with a 4-1-2 record. That means Real Sociedad is sitting ahead of Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid on the table, which has to have the San Sebastián-based team full of cautious optimism.

The Txuri-urdinak (aka the Whites and Blues) have won three consecutive league contests, with their most recent game resulting in a convincing, 4-1 victory against bottom feeder Huesca.

Spain internationals Mikel Oyarzabal and Portu carry the club's offensive attack, having racked up four goals apiece across all competitions.

Real Sociedad sits on 10.4 expected goals and 5.0 expected goals against, resulting in a +5.4 xGDiff and +0.77 xGDiff/90 minutes. Needless to say, the club's numbers put them in the upper echelon of Spain's top flight.

The club's expected goals and xGDiff/90 minutes are second only to global powerhouse Real Madrid in the 20-team league.

Expected goals (also known as xG) is an advanced statistic that gives an indication of whether results are based on sustainable factors like a steady creation of scoring chances, or whether it is down to aspects such as luck or outstanding goalkeeping.

Napoli

Napoli has had a beautiful start to its Serie A campaign, sitting alone in second place on 12 points. The Gli Azzurri has won four of its opening five league tilts, with its only blemish coming three fixtures back in a 3-0 shutout defeat against Juventus.

Most recently, Napoli scratched a 2-1 victory against Benevento this past weekend. Prior to that game, Napoli earned a surprising 4-1 rout of Champions League side Atalanta, which has been its most impressive win to date.

Mexican international Hirving Lozano leads the line for Napoli, scoring a team-leading four goals thus far this season.

As for the data and statistics, Napoli sits on 7.9 expected goals and stellar 2.3 expected goals against, resulting in a +5.6 xGDiff and +1.40 xGDiff/90 minutes in Italy's top flight. The club's expected goals against is far and away tops in Serie A, putting it well ahead second-best Udinese (4.7 xGA) on the table.

Real Sociedad-Napoli Picks

You could not find two more in-form clubs at the moment, which really sets this up for a truly entertaining affair.

That said, I am going to back the total going over the number and both teams to score. As mentioned, Napoli and Real Sociedad are playing some of their best soccer in recent memory, which really sets this up to be an electric match.

Napoli is definitely up against it after that shock loss to AZ Alkmaar in the opening fixture, where it possessed the ball more than 70 percent of the match. The Gli Azzurri has to come out on its front foot, with the hope of taking control and striking early.

However, Napoli's need for points and a positive result are going to make it susceptible to the Real Sociedad counter attack, which is going to lead to multiple scoring chances for the host side. Expect both teams to get on the scoreboard and play the highlighted angles with confidence.

Picks: Total Over 2.5 Goals (+100) | Both Teams To Score — Yes (-132)

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BONUS PLAYS

• CSKA Moscow vs. Dinamo Zagreb — Total Under 2.5 Goals (-148): Both clubs scratched out opening-match draws, which has me forecasting this meeting as another low-scoring affair. The Russian side is the Group K favorite and sits at +100 on the moneyline, so I think its worth a small play as well.
• Rangers vs. Lech Poznan — Total Over 2.5 Goals (-167): The Scottish Premier League side is fantastic form at the moment, winning seven consecutive matches and scoring at least twice in its last 12 contests. Polis club Lech Poznan took part in a six-goal thriller in their Group D opener, so if you want fireworks on the pitch, this is your game.
• Omonia Nicosia vs. PSV Eindhoven: Both Teams To Score — Yes (-139): The Dutch power journeys to Cyprus for this affair as the match favorite. However, the Eredivisie side has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and injuries, making this a tighter game than would normally be projected. Toss in the fact the hosts have lost just once at home in the last 16 months, and this has the makings of a fairly even contest.

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[Bet on the CSKA Moscow-Dinamo Zagreb, Rangers-Lech Poznan and PSV Eindhoven-Omonia Nicosia matches at DraftKings and get a $1,000 sign-up bonus.]