Soccer Odds: 3 Best Early Bets for Saturday with Premier League Postponed

Soccer Odds: 3 Best Early Bets for Saturday with Premier League Postponed article feature image

While the Premier League has postponed all of its upcoming fixtures due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, a host of other European leagues will be in action. That means there's plenty of spots for you to take advantage of with all of the various soccer odds across Europe.

You might be thinking, "Saturday is for college football!" We get that, but our soccer team has evaluated the slate of European play with selections that ensure you can watch both soccer and football without missing a minute of either.

Below, Nick Hennion, BJ Cunningham and Brett Pund have identified their top bets to make, with a catch: Each game kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET or earlier, meaning each will also end before a snap of college football is played.

Read on to see how our staff is playing the early morning slate of European soccer.

Our 3 Early Saturday Best Bets

Rayo Vallecano vs. Valencia

Rayo Vallecano Odds+155
Valencia Odds+195
Draw+210
Over/Under2.5 (+120 / -146)
Day | TimeSaturday | 8 a.m. ET
How To WatchESPN+
Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here.

Pund: If you've been following my La Liga Best Bets articles, you know Valencia has been a common team I have been targeting for low-scoring matches. This game at Rayo Vallecano is another prime spot for this to happen.

That said, I’m backing a Same Game Parlay, pairing the Both Teams to Score (No) with the total falling under 2.5 goals at +108 odds via FanDuel as my top selection.

This same play has cashed in three of four matches for both sides, plus there is a lot to suggest it should get to the window as a winning ticket again.

The visitors are struggling for goals after the departure of last season’s top two goal scorers — Carlos Soler (Paris Saint-Germain) and Gonçalo Guedes (Wolverhampton), who played a direct role in 73% of Valencia’s goals in the 2021-22 campaign.

Meanwhile, Vallecano is averaging less than a goal per game offensively and ranks in the bottom three of La Liga in shots per match (2.25) overall.

Back in April, this fixture finished with less than one combined (xG), according to fbref.com, so I’m expecting a similar game to unfold.

Pick: Same Game Parlay — Both Teams to Score (No) & Total Under 2.5 Goals (+108)

Napoli vs. Spezia

Napoli Odds-425
Spezia Odds+850
Draw+500
Over/Under3.5 (+120 / -150)
Day | TimeSaturday | 9 a.m. ET
How To WatchParamount+
Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here.

Cunningham: Napoli lost some key pieces defensively, but they’ve been just as impressive as ever.

The squad has conceded 3.2 xGA in their first five matches while not allowing a big scoring chance in their last four matches. Napoli is taking on a Spezia team that only averaged 0.94 NPxG per match, 10.2 shots per 90 minutes and 9.3 box entries per 90 minutes last season. Early indications are this offense is still really bad.

Through five matches Spezia has just 3.5 xG created — only Lecce has created fewer — and it's only averaging 19 touches in the penalty area per match, which is the fourth-lowest amount in the Italian top flight.

The reason I am playing the Both Teams To Score (No) wager and not the Spezia team total staying under 0.5 goals or Napoli to Win to Nil is because I made this exact bet in this match last season, which Spezia won as an +1100 underdog via a 1-0 shutout, while creating 0.3 xG in that win.

I have this line projected at -175, so I like the value on -110 odds.

Pick: Both Teams to Score — No (-110)

Hoffenheim vs. Mainz

Hoffenheim Odds+130
Mainz Odds+195
Draw+250
Over/Under2.5 (-148 / +122)
Day | TimeSaturday | 9:30 a.m. ET
How To WatchESPN+
Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here.

Hennion: I recognize Hoffenheim is the home side in this matchup, but my numbers actually make Mainz a slight favorite.

So far this Bundesliga campaign, Hoffenheim has come up extremely lucky. Through five fixtures, the club has generated a measly five big scoring chances — good for fourth worst in the German top-flight — and have a -5 big scoring chances differential.

In terms of xG, Hoffenheim has a -1 xG differential in those five matches.

Yet, Hoffenheim simultaneously enters this match with a +2 goal differential in the Bundesliga. Sound the alarm… negative regression could be on the way.

As for Mainz, it arrives at this match as a positive regression candidate. Through five matches, the side has a +5 big scoring chances differential and a +1.5 xG differential on a 0 goal differential.

Additionally, Mainz has conceded the fourth-fewest xG in the German top flight and kept three of five sides at less than one xG this season. On the flip side, Hoffenheim has kept only two teams at less than 1.5 xG, per fbref.com.

Lastly, Mainz has won three consecutive matches against Hoffenheim and has a +6 big chances differential in those three fixtures.

Pick: Mainz — Draw No Bet (+120)

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