All eyes will be on Camp Nou in the biggest La Liga matchup of the season thus far and Barcelona could effectively seal another title if they defeat Atletico Madrid.
A win would put Messi's crew 11 points ahead with only seven games remaining, though a loss would shake up everything. Barcelona are still top of La Liga but the lead has been cut to eight points following their crazy 4-4 draw at Villarreal on Tuesday night.
Barca remain enormous -10000 favorites to win the league but Atletico Madrid have dropped slightly from +5000 to +4500.
Before the season started, Barcelona were available at -125, followed by Real Madrid (+135) and Atletico Madrid (+1000).
Relegation Battle
Huesca (23 points) and Rayo Vallecano (24 pts) are both multiple wins away from safety and are the heavy favorites to be relegated.
Celta Vigo (29 pts) are currently in the final relegation spot but have managed to pick up four points in their last two matches, putting pressure on the clubs directly above them in the standings: Villarreal (30 pts), Valladolid (30 pts), Levante (32 pts), Girona (34 pts) and Espanyol (35 pts).
Week 31 Betting Odds
Betting Market Breakdown
All four moneylines have shifted toward the road clubs on Saturday while bettors are loving the home teams on Sunday.
Since opening, the three biggest odds movers have been away teams to win outright:
- Valencia (+110 to -105) at Rayo Vallecano
- Leganes (+300 to +225) at Alaves
- Eibar (+1000 to +700) at RealMadrid
This weekend's matches kick off early Saturday at 7 a.m. ET with Girona hosting Espanyol in a crucial battle toward the bottom of the table. Neither side can afford a loss but a draw wouldn't be the worst result for either of them.
We've seen considerable betting action on the under (2.5) and it looks like the total could even drop to 2 goals by game time. Expect a tight and cagey affair where the teams split the points.
In Week 31's marquee matchup, smart money has hit both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid for their battle at Camp Nou. At -130 odds or better, the value is there on Barca and that line will likely rise sharply at some point before kickoff.
Sevilla and Valencia are shaping up to be the most popular public bets on the board as they're both listed around even-money against bottom-five clubs. You may want to tread carefully in those matches thinking that they're easy winners.
Value Plays (La Liga Season Record: 1-2-0, +0.65 units)
- Girona-Espanyol Draw (+225)
- Barcelona (-120) vs. Atletico Madrid
Want live updates of the action all weekend? Be sure to follow @actionnetsoccer on Twitter for all the latest soccer betting news around the market.
